D'Arc Is Not Evil
by Promkastel
Summary: Jaune never thought he'd die like this. Then again, he never thought that his friends would leave him to die. All because of one mistake. Oh well, death seemed nice anyway. But then again, Arcs are always destined to defy death. At least, that's what his mom said. Especially when he wakes up finding out that the Grimm worship him as their God.
1. Prologue: Starfall

**Welcome to Crimson writes more cliche fanfictions because he's an unorginal piece of -**

**So Crimson decided to write start another fic. And a RWBY one this time!? What happened to your other two fics! Oh well, enough with the monologue. I've always liked these. Jaune betrayal fics. My favorite is A Light in the D'Arc by Caffeine Magnum or Omniknyght. As you can probably guess, that's the fic that inspired me to write one. So this fic was inspired by A Light in the D'Arc. If anyone knows the author, please give them support so we can get chapter 3. Oh, well, let's see where the young Arc will take us this time. I also got permission from PorterHawk to use an aspect of a fanfic of his called Arc of the Fallen. I'm guessing that by me saying those words you all think that Jaune is Lucifer. WRONG! We're sticking to RWBY. No real-world crap. **

**Anyway, I'll let you guys read. Just a fair warning, this fic will be updated much more slowly than my other two. Mainly due to time.**

**RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. The only person I own here is a faunus OC.**

* * *

Huh, you know what Deja Vu is?

Deja Vu is when you've felt like you've lived through the situation once already. People think that it's evidence of a past life or some sort of precognitive semblance or something. I think it's a load of crap. What's happening right now you ask?

Well, I'm falling for one. My big sis always told me that heroes are people who get up after they fall and make the best of it. I'm guessing she was talking about being beaten down because I don't think she considered life-threatening situations that involve fighting a horde of Grimm.

Huh, I always wanted to go down in a blaze of glory. I just never expected it to happen this early. And I guess I couldn't call it a blaze of glory. It's more pathetic really… like everything else in my life.

Where are my friends you ask? Most likely on the way back to Beacon. Having a grand old time and drinking hot cocoa or something or whatever they have on that bullhead. Expecting a sob story or something? About how my supposed friends left me to die in the middle of nowhere Atlas?!

I'm sorry for snapping. It's the bloodloss. Oh yeah, I'm bleeding by the way. I guess fighting Grimm with no aura does that to you. Three massive gashes on my chest. Who knew Beowulves could tear through Aura like that. Professor Port should have told us that bit of info at least. Maybe he did and I was too busy being... you know what nevermind. I might fall asleep thinking about it. If I'm going to die, I might as well do it awake.

So here's a quick rundown of what happened. A certain secret of mine got blown by a certain mace-wielding, racist dickhead who shall remain unnamed for now. The entire student body turned on me and so did my friends so here I am.

I guess however I should thank the Gods that _she_ stuck by me.

I wonder how she is. Is she okay? She took a pretty hard blow. Shattered her aura completely. Hehe, why is the world spinning?

Oh yeah, bleeding out, hehe...

Well, at least one good thing will come out of this.

Mom might go _Le Grondemont De La Haine_ on all of Beacon. And Dad might not even stop her and even go Gehen or Balmung on everyone. Too bad I won't be there to see Professor Ozpin's face when he sees the property damage from all the fire and brimstone.

I miss Mom and her kindness. I miss Dad and his social ineptitude as well as his stories. I miss Saph, Aiden, and Terra. I miss Vert, Jade, Catherine, Petra, and Jacinthe. I miss my twin, Alice.

I want to go home to Doremy so badly. To see everyone again. Maybe I'll get my wish.

In a body bag or as a memory, who knows?

Looks like I'm almost there. I've always wondered what I'd look like as a work of art.

Wait, what's this? Purple and black? Wasn't my aura white? It must be Big Sis Glyn. Always on time…

Water? Hey, that's looking kinda close. Oh well, the shock of the cold will kill me anyway.

I wonder what my next life will be like. I guess if I get lucky, it will turn out like all those isekai anime from Vacuo that I like to watch. Maybe I'll be like the Barrier Hero or that one guy who brings a useless fire goddess with him to another world.

Oh, the possibilities.

_Cough!_

Oh look, I think I just coughed up my spleen. Bye, spleen.

Where were we? Oh right! Dying.

I guess I do have regrets. I never got to tell her how I felt. Weiss was just a crush. But she. She helped me live. Maybe if Mikhael feels sorry, he'll let me watch over her. Like I watched over her long ago.

Wait, long ago? We just met. I guess losing almost a liter of blood does that to you.

I'm sorry for being such a failure...

.

.

.

.

Pyrrha.

* * *

**Hehe, Arkos. Yes, this is an Arkos fic. Anyway, review. Let me know what you think. Is there any way I can make this better or... just say hi. Have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!~**


	2. Prologue: A Mistake

**Okay, so here's chapter two since I had nothing better to do. Just remember, this story was inspired by A Light in the D'Arc by Omniknyght. **

**I don't own RWBY otherwise Pyrrha would still be alive.**

* * *

How many times has he been up here? Sitting on this roof, contemplating the very worth of his existence. Jaune sighed as he rubbed a bruise that was forming on his side. Everything started on this roof. Everything. Sometimes, he wondered if it was a mistake to save Cardin from that Ursa.

_Should I go back to my room?_ Jaune contemplated. He shook his head. He needed this time alone.

He stared back up at the moon. The sight brought him some semblance of comfort.

A small creak alerted him as his sapphire eyes darted to the single entrance to the roof. The door was slightly ajar but there was no one in sight. _I could have sworn that I closed that door. Maybe it's just my nerves,_ he thought.

Sighing, Jaune continued to gaze out into the distance. The nightly breeze offered no comfort as it gently stroked his face and hair.

"Maybe they're all right…," Jaune muttered as his shoulder sagged. The defeat weighed heavily upon the young Knight. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this. Cheating my way into the most prestigious fighting school this side of Vale wasn't exactly the best idea. Ozpin clearly made a mistake when he chose me to lead."

"Is that so Mr. Arc?" a voice called out.

Jaune jumped and whirled his head around so fast, he might as well have broken it. There standing behind him was an irate Glynda Goodwitch. Her blonde hair was shining in the light of the moon while her piercing green eyes sent waves of fear into the poor Knight.

"P-Professor G-Goodwitch!? What brings you here?" he asked, cursing himself for stuttering.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Curfew ended hours ago. What are you doing up here?" she asked.

"I- um, uh, was just appreciating the Moon?" Jaune said.

"If you're going to lie, you'll have to do a lot better than that. The truth, Mr. Arc. The truth," Glynda said, her withering glare forcing Jaune into submission. "And no, the old 'I was sleepwalking' excuse won't cut it this time."

Her eyes trailed down and saw the bruises on his arm. His tense body language. His bloodshot eyes. The clenched fists. Her eyes softened at the sight.

"Mr- Jaune, you know you can ask me and the other staff for help right?" Glynda said, taking a seat next to him. Despite how she is viewed by students and staff, a strict, overbearing, drill sergeant of a professor, Glynda did possess a motherly demeanor, under the right circumstances of course.

Jaune looked away from her. A month of nothing but physical and emotional abuse had taken its toll on him. Nearly the entire student body had turned their backs on him. Bullies and others who had not taken kindly to his entrance had relished in his suffering. And he was alone. Well, almost alone. The staff, Mikael bless them, had gone out of their way to try and help him. His partner, as well, had been his only light in this dark time.

The others had turned their backs on him. Team RWBY had gone out of their way to either avoid him or otherwise. Nora and Ren were impassive about the whole thing. They neither helped him nor contributed to the abuse but Jaune couldn't help but feel abandoned.

He wasn't blind to what the staff and Pyrrha were trying to do. They were trying to get him back on track. But he couldn't accept it. He didn't deserve it. Everyone else worked their whole lives to be granted entrance to the very gates of the great Beacon Academy. He didn't. His very presence was a stain on the school's reputation.

_I should just go home to Domremy. Become a tavern owner like Mom and Dad or a programmer like Saphron,_ Jaune thought to himself, _I'm clearly not meant to be here._

"Even though the other students have all but abandoned you, we, the staff of Beacon, have not. We choose who gets in and who doesn't. It's not about some piece of paper. It's all about potential. It's how Ms. Rose got in. It's how you got in," Glynda said in an attempt to reassure him of his place here.

Jaune smiled but Glynda saw right through it. It was like seeing him as a child once more. He had a tendency to hide any abuse that had been inflicted upon him. As his babysitter, it was her job to tell his parents but she never did.

Jaune made sure of that. His puppy dog eyes were top-notch even for a child.

But she never liked keeping it a secret. She never liked how Jaune came home covered in cuts and bruises. She never liked seeing the tear streaks on his face. It's been eleven years since then and she still doesn't like it.

Glynda reached over and ruffled Jaune's hair, causing the Knight to swat her hand away reflexively. She smiled internally. So he was still there after all.

"Jaune, just know that even if the rest of the school hates the staff for aiding you, we don't regret a single second of it. Remember, that's what heroes do. Make the right choice even if we're hated for it. Trust me on this. If not as your Deputy Headmistress, then as your surrogate big sister," Glynda said, wrapping Jaune in a hug. She began to rub soothing circles on his back all while whispering comforting words in his ear.

It was then that Jaune broke down and began to cry. He returned the hug at full force and cried into her shoulder.

"It'll be okay Jaune. Everything's going to be okay," Glynda said, trying with all her effort to reassure him.

* * *

Jaune walked silently back to his room. He felt embarrassed. Even after eleven years, Glynda still had to look after him. Using his scroll and entering his team's dorm, he noticed that they were all asleep.

Pyrrha was sleeping fitfully as if she was having a nightmare. Her face was scrunched up in fear and worry as she tossed and turned on her bed.

Jaune walked over and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Jaune…," she muttered as she calmed down and slept peacefully. He sighed. Why did he have to be paired up with her? She was the strongest student in their year and he was just a burden, riding on the coattails of her success. Was she helping him merely out of pity? Was their friendship even real? Jaune shook his head

_Stop thinking like that Arc! Pyrrha… Pyrrha always promised she'd be there for you_, Jaune thought.

Jaune changed into his sleepwear and tried to get some sleep. After a few tries, his mind finally drifted off into a dream.

"_You two have no idea what you have done down there!"_

_Jaune blinked as he found himself staring at a beautiful woman with silver hair and red eyes. She wore a white dress that shimmered like the stars and a white crown atop her head. Jaune retracted his earlier statement. This woman wasn't beautiful. She was beyond such a word. To call her beautiful would be an insult. On top of that, she embodied the very definition of power and fear._

_"We did what we thought was right at the time!" a woman with blonde hair and golden eyes said. She looked eerily familiar but her identity escaped him due to his lack of lucidity._

_"Wiping out mankind was a bit extreme was it not?" a man with midnight black hair said, his eyes shimmering like gems._

_Jaune found himself speaking._

_"What were we supposed to do? Let them attack us? That woman violated the laws of nature! She deserved to be punished!" he yelled._

_"Well, the others might not see it that way," a woman with blonde hair and violet eyes said._

_"Well, Jaune?" another woman said._

_He looked at her confused as she kept saying the name._

_"Jaune!"_

_"Jaune!"_

_"**JAUNE!**"_

Jaune woke up to see worried emerald green eyes staring into his own. His face was slowly starting to turn red as Pyrrha's face hovered inches from his own.

"Um, morning, Pyr," he said.

"Jaune, where were you last night?" Pyrrha said, moving away from his face and plopping down onto his bed.

"I needed some air," he lied.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes but didn't push. Jaune would open up on his own to her and she didn't want to push him.

"Look, I'll cover for you for the rest of the morning. How about you take the morning off?" Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha, I'm-"

"Jaune, you're not fine. You're breaking down. You need some time to collect yourself," she insisted.

Jaune sighed. Only a few months and she could already read him like an open book. _I guess that's why we're partners, after all_, Jaune thought. He nodded and she left the room, locking the door behind her.

"A whole morning to myself. Might as well call home," Jaune said, grabbing his scroll. He swiped down through his contacts list until he saw it.

_Dad._

Clicking on the contact, Jaune waited as his scroll rang. On the second ring, a man with a slender-yet-hardy build wearing a white shirt, a black waistcoat, and black slacks and dark hair and ruby red eyes answered the call.

"Oh, Jaune. It's great to see you," the man said, a bright smile making its way onto his stoic face.

"Hey Dad, how's the tavern and Mom?" Jaune asked. Jaune's parents were retired hunters. His dad had said that they retired to raise their family. To raise eight children was no easy task. As the third oldest, Jaune made it his duty to lighten the load his parents had when dealing with their children and after Vert and Saph left, it was all up to Jaune to look after the rest of them.

"Well, why don't you ask her yourself?" his father said.

"JAUNE!~" a voice full of love and happiness called from the scroll.

Jaune winced at the sound and a woman who liked the exact near spitting image of him appeared on the call. She had long blonde hair and amethyst colored eyes that shimmered with kindness. The woman didn't possess the seductive beauty of Yang or the cuteness of Ruby. No, her beauty was wondrous and was one that scarcely felt real.

"Hey, mom," Jaune greeted as his smile grew. His family always made him happy.

"My sweet little Moon. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good! How's Domremy and the Tavern holding up?" he asked.

"Everything's fine. Your sisters are preparing for the Festival of Israfil," she said.

"I remember that festival. I wish I could come home and join you guys," he said.

"You always can," his father said. "Your mother and I can have a nice conversation with Ozzy."

"Define nice, Dad," Jaune said, deadpanning at the screen.

"Err…"

Jaune's mother smacked his head. "Sieg! Be nice!"

"C'mon, Jeanne! It's not like you weren't thinking the same thing," Sieg complained, rubbing the back of his head. The two began to bicker lightly about how they should treat Ozpin if he doesn't let their son come home for Israfil when Jaune spoke.

"Mom, Dad, tell Alice I said hi," he said, catching their attention.

"Of course, my Moon. Is there anything else we can do for you?" Jeanne asked.

Jaune bit his lip. Should he tell them? He was in a powerful position right now. He could tell them everything. Jaune shook his head internally and smiled at his parents.

"No, nothing else. I just wanted to see you guys," Jaune said.

Jeanne's eyes dimmed for a second before brightening up once more. "Of course, sweetie. You can call us anytime," she said.

"Thanks, mom. I love you guys," he said.

"We love you too, son," Sieg replied.

Jaune cut the call and heard his stomach growl. He checked the time on his scroll.

_11:35 AM_

Perhaps he should head down for lunch? No. He'll be spotted and he didn't want to get beat up today, pranked, or mentally beat down. Jaune swiped through his contacts for Pyrrha and sent her a message.

_|Can you get me some food, Pyrrha?|_

_{Sure. Is meatloaf alright with you?}_

_|Yeah. Meatloaf's good. Thanks, Pyr!|_

_{:)}_

Jaune collapsed onto his bed and wondered what to do while Pyrrha brought him his food. Deciding to just wait, Jaune pulled out his scroll and began to play some games.

* * *

Pyrrha put her scroll away as Nora was finishing her story.

"So there we were, trapped in a massive ruin dedicated to the God of Darkness, Lucifer! Treasures lined every room and every inch of the temple but that wasn't what me and Renny were looking for no. We were after a more elusive prize. The Crown of Keter! The very one told in legends to summon the Goddess of Knowledge, Metatron, herself and she will grant you ten wishes! Finding a secret entrance, we entered it and noticed something. An abomination of sorts. Perhaps something the Old God left to guard the temple. It was after Renny and I entered the room, that we figured out what the abomination was. There in the pits was… A LEVIATHAN!" Nora yelled, causing Ruby to yelp and drop her cookie.

"Wow, Nora, what happened next?" Ruby asked. She always did like Nora's tales of adventure and discovery. Even if they did seem completely outlandish at times.

"Ruby, please don't egg her on," Weiss said, rubbing her temples. She already felt a headache building inside her head. Actually, she's had a headache all month. Ever since the debacle with that fraud began, the entire group had been arguing on what to do with him. Well, it was more Pyrrha vs the rest of them. The girl seemed adamant that Jaune could be somehow redeemed.

"But, Weiiiissss," Ruby said, pouting.

"Hey, Pyrrha, who was that just now?" Ren asked. Pyrrha stiffened for a moment.

"It was Jaune wasn't it?"

At his words, nearly everyone at the table's mood dropped. Yang's lilac eyes flickered red while her hair glowed momentarily. Weiss narrowed her eyes. Ruby looked down, face devoid of emotion. Nora stopped smiling and Blake looked on impassively.

"Yes, it was," Pyrrha said with an edge in her voice. "What about it?"

"I don't understand why you keep him on your team," Weiss said, her ice-blue eyes zeroing in on Pyrrha.

"He's our leader," she said.

"Even still, leader or not, Arc is a fraud. He was never meant to be here," Weiss said.

"Ice Queen is right, Pyrrha. Jaune. He cheated his way into here while the rest of us worked our asses off. Why are you defending him?" Yang asked.

"Because he's my friend, Xiao Long," Pyrrha growled.

"..." Yang went silent at her words. Yes, Jaune had been her friend. But all that went out the window when they found out what he did. Why does he get a free ride into Beacon? She had to work blood, sweat, and tears to get into this school and that blonde ponce thinks he can just waltz in for free!?

"He's a fraud Pyrrha. When are you going to see that? He's just dead weight," Yang said, coldly.

Pyrrha growled at Yang's words.

"Yang," Ruby said, glaring slightly at her sister. Yang shrugged and continued to sip her juice.

"What about you Ruby? You've never said anything since we found out," Weiss asked.

Ruby looked down at her food. At first, when the revelation came out, she didn't want to believe it. Jaune was her best friend. There was no way in all of Remnant that he could do something like this. But all the facts were there. Cardin was right. Jaune confirmed it with his actions.

He was a fraud. A liar. A cheat. But he was still her friend, at least, Ruby tried to tell herself that.

"I… I'm sorry Pyrrha but Weiss and Yang are right," she said.

"Ruby…," Pyrrha said, her eyes wide and shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this! You're his best friend!" Pyrrha said, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. Every metallic object within a 50-foot radius began to crumble under the power of Pyrrha's semblance.

Yang immediately stood and got between Pyrrha and Ruby.

"Watch it, _P-money_," Yang said, her red eyes looking straight into Pyrrha's emerald ones. Pyrrha stared back, unwaveringly, matching Yang's glare with the same intensity.

"Pyrrha, stop this. You have to see the facts. You're letting your feelings for that cheat cloud your better judgment," Weiss said.

"Ruby, why?" Pyrrha asked, begging the young reaper for an answer.

Ruby looked away from her. "Pyrrha, I admire the lengths Jaune will go to help other people but what he's doing… he's just making himself a danger to you and your team. He can't fight as well as the rest of us, hell, he can't even beat Cardin of all people," she said.

"That's why I'm training him! To help him at least get to a level where he can help us!" she said.

"And how long will that take?" Ruby said, snapping her silver eyes and staring into the redhead's own.

"Days, weeks, months even? Are you just going to wait until someone on your team gets injured or dies to finally realize that everyone was right?" Ruby said. Pyrrha winced at Ruby's words. Ruby's stare softened.

"Pyrrha, as much as I want him to stay, for his own safety, you have to tell Jaune that he's not cut out for this. It's for his own good," Ruby said.

"What about you Blake? You've been quiet this whole time," Pyrrha asked.

"I don't care how Jaune got in," she said. "I'm siding with Pyrrha. If Jaune wants to help others, it's our job as his friends to help him get better so he won't be a weak link."

"Blake…," Yang said. Blake glared at her.

"You were willing to accept me despite the fact that I was a Faunus and a former member of the White Fang, why won't you accept Jaune, whose only mistake was getting into Beacon through false documents?"

They all went silent at her words. Pyrrha sent Blake a smile of appreciation and the Cat Faunus merely nodded in return.

"Look, we can talk about this later. I need to bring Jaune some food," Pyrrha said, storming off.

A knock on his door alerted Jaune to the arrival of someone. "Who is it?"

"It's me!"

Opening the door immediately, Jaune took the tray from Pyrrha and let her in. She sat down on her bed and looked at her partner. Jaune noticing her stare, looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," Pyrrha said, smiling. Jaune shrugged and began to eat. Her eyes stared fondly at the blonde knight before her. What right did they have to judge him? Jaune had potential. She could feel it. And she would help him reach that potential.

"Hey Jaune, come to class," Pyrrha said.

"Weren't you the one who told me to stay in the room?"

"Yes, but we have Goodwitch after this," she replied. Jaune's eyes widened as he ran to get changed, all while eating his food.

* * *

Jaune sat next to Pyrrha, trying to ignore the hateful stares of the entire classroom. He glanced around and saw Yang glaring at him.

Glynda looked over the crowd and sighed. It was going to be another one of those days then. She tightened her grip on her riding crop and looked on her scroll.

"Russel Thrush and Ruby Rose, please come down to the arena," Glynda said.

The entire match was a joke. Ruby had defeated Russel in less than five minutes.

Glynda selected the next set of fighters and her heart nearly stopped upon seeing them.

_Yang Xiao Long vs Jaune Arc_

"W-would Miss Xiao Long and Mr. Arc please come down from the stands?" Glynda said.

Jaune gulped as he stood up. However before he could get down, Pyrrha stood up.

"Professor Goodwitch, would it be alright for me to volunteer in Jaune's place?" she said. Glynda thanked the gods for the girl's quick thinking.

"Very well, Ms. Nikos," Glynda said, pressing a few buttons. The screen changed from Jaune to Pyrrha as many began to protest with some calling her out for favoritism.

The fight went exactly as expected. Yang and Pyrrha fought each other, neither giving the other any room to breathe.

Yang threw flipped back as Pyrrha swung Milo. Using Ember Celica, Yang propelled herself in the air and delivered a devastating punch to Pyrrha's torso, sending the girl back a few feet.

Pyrrha fixed Yang a glare, who returned one of her own. Activating her Semblance, Yang's eyes turned red while her hair glowing with a bright golden color. Yang propelled herself forward, ready to knock Pyrrha out of the ring, when her hands were launched to the side, throwing off her trajectory allowing Pyrrha to win with a ring out.

"Winner of this match is Pyrrha Nikos," Glynda said. "That will be all for today's matches. Class is ending early today as the Headmaster has called me and the other professors for a staff meeting. If I hear that one person has so much as laid a finger on Mr. Arc, whoever it is shall serve detention with _me_," she said, sending the class one last withering glare.

Leaving that threat to hang in the air, Glynda dismissed them. As Jaune was about to walk out the door, she called out to him.

"Jaune. Stay for a minute," she said. He froze and timidly walked over to her.

"Why are you allowing this to happen Jaune?" she asked.

Jaune stayed silent.

Seeing that he wasn't answering, Glynda continued. "Jaune, if you keep downplaying your situation, if you let yourself be pushed around by your classmates, your supposed friends, and teammates, then yo-

"I know. But I can't fight back, I have to endure this. Maybe then, just maybe, I'll be treated fairly again. And besides, even if I tried, they can still beat me anyway and it'll get worse," he said.

"Jaune, I for one know that what you are doing is complete and utter bullshit. You're letting others define you!" she argued.

"But they are! If it weren't for them, I'd be nothing. If it weren't for them, then this life woul-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! And what you say is not true. Relationships are only one aspect of what defines us. In the end, it is you who decides who you truly are. Not Team CRDL. Not Mr. Winchester. Not Ms. Xiao Long. Not Ms. Schnee. You. No one else but you," Glynda said.

Jaune's eyes grew wide as he stood their frozen in shock of his normally strict professor's sisterly attitude. _Oh, who am I kidding? Of course, she's like this. She was my baby sitter. Gods, she can be worse than Vert sometimes,_ Jaune thought.

"Thanks, Big Sis Glyn," Jaune said.

"You are very welcome. Now, if you don't mind, my boss is calling me and the others for a meeting," Glynda said as she walked out the door. Jaune smiled before following her.

Outside the door, Pyrrha stood there waiting for Jaune to arrive. She smiled when she saw him and ran over.

"Jaune," she said.

"Let's head back to the room," Jaune said. Pyrrha nodded and the two walked off back to their room. Upon entering, Jaune noticed that Ren and Nora were there but they ignored him as if he didn't exist.

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. The two sat down on Jaune's bed silently basking in each other's company.

A beeping noise on his scroll alerted him and he picked it up.

_Alic_e? He thought.

_{Mom and Dad got off the phone with Ozpin. He said you can take a few days off and come back to Domremy for the Festival of Israfil}_

Jaune's mood lifted for the first time since the month started. He would finally get to go home after a while and just forget about the whole transcript thing. It would give him a chance to think.

Noticing his smile, Pyrrha looked down at Jaune's scroll and saw a message. Curious at what it was, she decided to ask.

"Jaune? What's the Festival of Israfil?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's a special event that happens every year back in my hometown of Domremy," he said. "It celebrates the patron deity of my town, Israfil. She's the Goddess of Life and Healing. When the town was first built long ago, people prayed to her for protection from the Grimm and for good life and health. It's a fun festival with lots of food, games, events, even a mini theme park. My sister just told me that Ozpin said I can go. It's during the break. Care to join me?"

_Oh, my Gods! Is he asking me out!?_ Pyrrha thought as her cheeks slowly turned red.

"Pyr?"

"YES!"

Jaune jumped at her response. Pyrrha, noticing that she just screamed yes, immediately looked away sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's alright," Jaune said.

* * *

The next day, Jaune decided to suck it up. He had gotten dressed and went with his team to all their classes. After Port's was class with Pro- Doctor Oobleck. Feeling the call of nature, Jaune left the group and went off to use the restroom.

Looking at his scroll and seeing that he would be late, Jaune began to run as fast he could. As he ran, he noticed the entire student body whispering about him. Perhaps they were probably planning out another way to make his life miserable. Even though the presence of the staff was enough to keep most of the student body from inflicting bodily harm upon him, there were still those idiots who ignored the very threat.

Jaune felt flat on his but as he collided with another student. Snickers were heard as they saw Jaune fall.

"What-"

"Well, if it isn't good old Jauney boy!" an all too familiar voice that Jaune had grown to despise made itself known.

"Cardin," Jaune said as he tried to get up. Before he could, a foot planted itself on his chest and pushed him back down.

"How is our good old master transcript forger?" Cardin said, twisting his heel. By now, a small crowd had begun to form around them, most likely to watch Cardin beat the ever-living shit out of Jaune. "How about we hang out? For old time's sake."

"Not like I have much of a choice," he mumbled.

"What was that, Jauney-boy?" Cardin said as he lifted his foot and brought it down hard where Jaune's liver was. The boy grunted in pain as the crowd began to jeer and taunt. Sending insults about how liars and cheats should die. About how he wasn't welcome. Even after a month, the insults still managed to cut but not as deeply as it did when it first started.

"Maybe I should teach you a little lesson about good manners, huh?" Cardin said, lifting his foot. Jaune tried to crawl away but Cardin grabbed him by the back of his uniform's collar and slammed him into a wall.

Jaune looked back at him defiantly. Looking over the crowd, he saw Weiss standing among them. She looked on with a frown as Cardin raised his arm and reared his fist.

"I'm guessing Mommy never taught you about manners so I'll have to teach you," Cardin said, grinning maliciously. The crowd roared on with approval, any threat of retaliation from the staff be damned. In their minds, this boy got what he deserved. How dare he spit on their efforts!

"Here's lesson one!" Cardin said, throwing his fist at full force.

Jaune closed his eyes in anticipation of something to impact his face. Only it never did. Instead, every hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His instincts screamed at him to run. To flee from this monster.

He opened his eyes and saw Cardin's fist wrapped in a violet aura.

A cold descended upon the hallway as the students, Cardin, and Jaune all froze in terror.

"**WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?**"

The students all recognized that voice. They all turned to see Glynda, her eyes full of fury and her aura flaring around her leaking ominous intent. The intent to kill. She took one step and all the students began to flee in fear of her. Cardin dropped Jaune and began to back away only to find himself unable to move.

"Mr. Winchester. What have I told you and the rest of the student body about harassing your fellow students?" Glynda said in a calm voice that betrayed the emotions dancing in her eyes like ominous flames.

Cardin tried to formulate an excuse. A reason that he was doing this.

"Professor. Jaune and I! We wer-" a familiar violet glow surrounded Cardin's head. Glynda glared and Cardin's jaw snapped shut with a sickening crack.

"Leave. We will be having words later in my office. You, me, Professor Ozpin, and your parents clearly have much to talk about regarding your behavior, Mr. Winchester," Glynda said.

Cardin nodded and sprinted off. Despite what his academic aptitude implies, Cardin was by no means stupid. Just arrogant. Extremely so. He was made the leader of his team for a reason after all. And if there was one thing he knew not to do, it was to not mess with Beacon's staff. Which is why, despite the fact that this left him with a bitter taste, Cardin ran off, planning to catch Jaune alone later to pay him back for what he did.

Jaune stood to his feet and made to leave when Glynda called his name.

"Jaune," she said, her voice full of worry and concern.

"I'm fine Professor. Just a small bruise is all," he said. She narrowed her eyes and walked over to him. She raised her hand and flicked him on the forehead.

Jaune immediately brought his hands up to his forehead.

"What did I say about downplaying your abuse?" Glynda asked him.

"To not do it?" he said.

"Exactly, now off to class with you," Glynda said. Jaune's eyes grew wide at her words.

"Crap! I gotta go! Thanks for helping me Professor!" he said, running off.

"Thank Miss Belladonna when you see her. She's the one who got me," she said. As he rounded the corner, Glynda looked at him and pulled a bottle out of her pocket. Anti-depressants. She needed to tell Jeanne and Sieg about what was happening to their son. Before it was too late. Before Jaune did something drastic.

* * *

Oobleck's class wasn't as bad as Jaune expected it to be. The very clear threat of one Glynda Goodwitch still hung in the air like the smell of rotten food on a hot day. That didn't stop the students however from resorting to less physical means and through the use of psychological ones.

"Hey, Weiss, looks like Jaune had a bit of _punch _on his way over here," Yang said. Everyone in the room laughed not at her pun but more at her insult. The only ones who didn't laugh were Pyrrha, Blake, Ruby, Nora, Ren, and Oobleck. Ruby shot Yang a slight glare before turning her attention back to the Professor.

"Okay, okay, settle down. Mr. Arc. Please stay behind. We shall discuss your tardy later," Oobleck said, starting the lecture. His gaze settled upon the entirety of the student body and his eyes morphed into a harsh glare shutting them up.

Throughout the entirety of the lecture, Oobleck noticed how the other students, except for Ms. Nikos, were all isolating Mr. Arc. He needed to tell Ozpin about this. It was going too far. Jaune needs help and he needed it now.

As he finished his lecture and dismissed the class, he called Jaune over to him. He pushed his glasses up and looked at the young knight.

"Mr. Arc. Are you alright?" he asked.

"Y-" Jaune remembered Glynda's words from earlier.

"N- No. I'm not," he said.

Oobleck sighed. The boy looked so defeated. Like he was about to give up on life. They needed to fix this.

"Jaune. Tell me what happened," he said.

* * *

Atop the great Tower of Beacon sat one man. The gears of clocks could be heard ticking throughout the entire room as a silver-haired man stared at the mountain of work on his desk. He sifted through mission requests and found one.

One that would test their skill.

A dinging sound signified the arrival of the elevator. The doors opened revealing the Deputy Headmistress. She walked forward, concern and worry filling her eyes.

"Ozpin," she said.

Ozpin looked up and saw Glynda place a bottle of pills on his desk. Raising an eyebrow, he grabbed the bottle and his eyes widened upon seeing what it was.

"I assume this was in Mr. Arc's room," he said, daring not to look away from the bottle.

She nodded.

Ozpin leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Ozpin, we need to inform the Arcs of what's happening to their son," Glynda said.

Ozpin turned his brown eyes to Glynda and stood. Walking over to the clock window and looked out.

"After he gets back," he said.

"After?"

"James has told me that one of his generals needs an assist. Unfortunately, the general's location is close to Vale and the presence of the Atlas Military that close to the Valean Border will cause issues. As such, I have assured him that I will send three of the best fresh teams in Beacon. A simple search and destroy. Nothing more," Ozpin said. "And with this, we can tell Mr. Arc's parents when they come here to retrieve him for the Festival of Israfil," Ozpin said.

"I see," she said.

"You will accompany them. If only to ensure the success of this mission," Ozpin said. Glynda nodded.

"Shall I call them?"

He nodded.

A few minutes later, the elevator opened revealing Teams RWBY and JNPR along with Team CRDL.

The Y and W of RWBY alongside the members of CRDL all glared at Jaune as the boy looked away and Pyrrha all glared at each of them.

"You three have been selected to go on a Search and Destroy to Aurbis Base located several miles from the Valean-Atlas border," Ozpin said. "Professor Goodwitch will be accompanying you."

"Wait? You're making us go on a mission with Vomit Boy!?" Yang said incredulously.

"I am not going on a mission with him!" Cardin said.

"Are you trying to get us killed!?" Weiss said. A loud series of protests began to form at Ozpin's decision to allow Jaune to go.

As they moved to say no, Ozpin slammed his cane onto the floor, producing a large web-like pattern. The very action caused them to go silent.

"Team RWBY. Team CRDL. Team JNPR. I did not call you here to belittle Mr. Arc. Understood," he said.

"Headmaster, if I may, Jaune is not suited for a mission. His lack of skill will only serve to endanger us and hamper the progress of our mission," Ren said. Jaune broke at his words. During the entire month, Ren and Nora did nothing, they didn't insult him. Beat him. Anything. They just were. But to hear Ren actually say something like that, broke him.

"I assure you that Mr. Arc's presence on this mission will not be an issue. In fact, the reason I'm sending Glynda is for his protection. Specifically from all of you. Now if you don't mind, I shall continue the briefing," Ozpin said.

They all nodded. As Ozpin briefed them, Jaune's mind ran through what his role in the mission was.

_Ozpin said that I can go but as what? What use am I other than live bait?_ Jaune thought. _And that part about protection for me. That doesn't make me feel better._

"That is your mission. Understood," Ozpin asked.

"Yes, Professor!" they all chorused.

"Good, you leave at 0600 tomorrow."

* * *

The sounds of rotor blades spinning were all that was keeping the group silent as they waited for their last member. For some, this member was nothing more than a _handicap_.

At long last, Jaune arrived dressed in his standard battle gear. Crocea Mors hung proudly at his waist.

Nora and Ren watched Jaune walk up and stand next to Pyrrha. When it was revealed that Jaune forged his way into Beacon, the two remained impassive. Neither siding with the students nor did they side with Jaune. For one, they didn't see a point in beating Jaune down.

On the other, they felt disappointed and angry. And it was a sentiment they shared with the rest of the student body. Jaune's very presence was a spit in their face. A spit on their hard work. All the hardships they had to endure.

But at the same time, they understood. Jaune just wanted to make the world a better place. He wanted to help people. To make sure no one suffered ever again. But surely there were better ways to do that. Why be a hunter?

Ren looked at his leader as he sat down, looking at the floor. They had been in the air for fifteen minutes now and Ren spent the entire time analyzing Jaune alongside Nora. He wasn't a fool. Ozpin sent Jaune on this mission for a reason. A mission that required all three teams working in unison to achieve the goal.

As they sat, Glynda spoke.

"I assume all the team leaders have read the briefing summary Ozpin sent to your scrolls," she said.

"Um," Cardin looked away.

"Professor. Some of the things Professor Ozpin mentioned aren't on here," Ruby said.

"The full briefing will be provided once more once we reach Aurbis. For now, read over that and formulate any plans and strategies you might come up with while we're on our way," Glynda said.

"Don't mess this up Arc," Cardin said as he began reading through the briefing.

Jaune ignored him and began to read through the briefing of the mission. The mission that would mark the beginning of a change that would alter the course of his life and the destiny of Remnant.

* * *

**Yes, I added more Gods. And gave them all names. Anyway, this chapter and the chapter that will come after this will show why Jaune was in Atlas, to begin with. One more thing. I'm not using the ever-popular Arcadia as Jaune's hometown. That's inaccurate to have Jaune be from Arcadia. Arcadia is a Greek Region, not French. It would make more sense for Pyrrha to be from Arcadia since she's Greek Themed. Jaune is based on Jeanne D'Arc. In this fic, I'm using Jeanne's hometown Domremy as Jaune's hometown to give more credit to his real-life inspiration. But I get why people use it. Arc. Arcadia. Anyway, review so I know what you think and how to make it better or just say hi. Follow. Fav. All that good stuff. Remember. Have a great day or not! The choice is yours!~ **

**PS: After this, the fic will slowly update. Expect one once every week or two.**


	3. Prologue: And So I Fall

**Okay, the prologue ends with this chapter. And you all have to wait a week or two before the next one. Just think of this as the series premiere special. To clarify some things, Ruby, Ren, and Nora don't hate Jaune like Weiss and Yang do. Ruby is disappointed yes, but she's too kind to hate him. As you saw the last chapter, she sees him as a danger to himself and his team. That's why she wants him to leave. Ren and Nora are neutral about the whole thing. They don't hate him but they're not happy with him. More on that will be revealed here. Anyway, disclaimer time.**

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

Aurbis was not what one would expect when hearing the word military. The R and Y of RWBY, as well as team CRDL, looked out the window upon arriving.

Aurbis was situated in a densely forested region in which was surrounded by perpetual snowfall. Aurbis was a fairly decent-sized city. Large buildings dotted the metropolitan area which gave way the smaller establishments and homes as you strayed further from the downtown. A network of roads and highways made their way across the entire town. A CCT tower stood proudly, defended by the ever-present Atlas military.

If one had to describe the town, they would compare it to Argus, the undisputed territory between Mistral and Atlas.

Jaune looked out the window, for once not motion sick. The sight of the city reminded him of the times he visited his older sister after she got married. He smiled at the thought. He and Alice were selected to be ring bearers at the wedding. It was a fun time.

"You look happy?" he was brought out of his thoughts as soon as Pyrrha spoke. She sent him a small smile.

"What were you thinking about?" Pyrrha asked.

"My older sister. She lives in Argus. Being here in Aurbis reminds me of her," Jaune said.

"You never really talk about your sisters," Pyrrha said.

"Well, I have seven. Two older, five younger," Jaune said. "I'm the third oldest child and the eldest son."

"What are their names?"

"In order, their names are Saphron, Vert, Alice, Catherine, Petra, Jacinthe, and Jade," Jaune said, counting them off.

"It must be hard being one of the only males in a family of eight," Pyrrha said. She could never imagine. She was an only child after all.

"Yeah, I had to step up and help run the Tavern and look after everyone after Vert left and moved to Patch. She's a writer," Jaune said.

"_**We shall be landing at Aurbis Military Base in 5 minutes**_."

The two stopped talking upon hearing the announcement.

"Alright, I assume that the present squad leaders have read the reports?" Glynda said.

Jaune, Ruby, and Cardin nodded.

"Very well. Once we get there, be on your best behavior. We are meeting with General Talos Aether," Glynda said as the bullhead landed.

* * *

The Beacon Teams and Glynda all exited the Bullhead and was greeted by a squadron of Atlesian Troops. One of them stepped forward and saluted Glynda.

"Are you Glynda Goodwitch?" the soldier asked.

"Yes, I am and these are the teams Headmaster Ozpin sent to assist you with your search and destroy," Glynda said.

The soldier nodded. "Follow me, ma'am! General Talos is waiting for you and your teams in the main conference room!"

The Beacon Group was lead through the base to its upper echelons. They were escorted to a large room with a circular table and a floating projector orb in the middle of the room. The room had white walls and looked like your average lecture hall only much smaller. In the room, waiting for them, was a tall burly man. He wore a general's outfit decorated with various military awards and badges. His eyes were green and had short russet hair accompanied by a massive beard.

"Glynda," he greeted.

"Talos," she returned in kind. Glynda gestured to JNPR, CRDL, and RWBY. "These are the teams Ozpin sent to assist you. I can assure you that they are currently the best on-site teams Beacon Academy has to offer."

"I can only hope. If you would all kindly take a seat, I shall go over the briefing that Ozpin explained to you all once more," Talos said

The teams took a seat while Glynda stood off to the side.

Talos turned off all the lights and activated the projector. A holographic image of the region was projected into the air. Talos walked over and tapped on the location of Aurbis.

"Here is the fortress city of Aurbis where we are right now. This series of roads leading out from the eastern gate of the town is a critical communication line between Aurbis and the neighboring settlements. At 0500 hours on September 20, we lost control of the road. Many troops were lost trying to secure the location but the Grimm there have grown beyond our means.

"Your mission," Talos said, zooming in on the route east of Aurbis. "You will find and destroy the Alpha within that location. We will send a detachment of troops to assist you in your endeavor. I also implore all of you to bundle up. In addition to the Grimm, winter starts early here in Mantle."

Jaune raised his hand.

"Yes, son," Talos said.

"Do you know happen to know which species of Grimm were dealing with?" he asked.

"We believe they are Beowolves due to the presence of an Alpha but the latest intelligence suggests the presence of a several Yeti in the area as well as a Goliath," Talos said.

Jaune nodded and began to formulate several plans in his head. A Yeti. The one day he decided to pay attention in Port's class, they were going over Yetis. Yetis were the Atlas variant of the Beringel, except much larger in size and stronger. While they lack the distinctive bony plates of their cousins, Yeti made up for it in their sheer strength.

"You will all leave tomorrow. For now, get some rest. We have prepared rooms for each team and lunch and dinner will be served at 1200 and 1800," Talos said, dismissing them from the room.

The teams left and decided to go to their rooms. CRDL and the yellow and white themed members of RWBY kept shooting Jaune distasteful glances as they made their way to the rooms. Upon arriving, Jaune immediately opened the door and went inside. The room was decent in size. A bit smaller than their dorm rooms but felt roomier due to the presence of bunk beds. Actual bunk beds. Not the death traps Team RWBY made on their first day.

"So, who gets top and who gets bottom?" Jaune asked.

"I call top!" Nora said, climbing up to the top of the bunk bed on the right.

"I guess I got bottom then," Ren said.

"What about you Pyr? Do you want to be on the top or the bottom?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm, I can be either Jaune," Pyrrha replied. _I'll be bottom or I can be on top and ride y- Bad Nikos! Lewd thoughts are unbecoming of you!_

"Alright, I got top bunk then," Jaune said. He set Crocea Mors down on the ground and climbed up to the top. A buzzing sound came from his pocket and he pulled out his scroll.

_Alice_

"Why now?" he muttered under his breath. He answered the call. On his screen was a girl, who looked like a female version of himself right down to the eyes. She had sparkling blue eyes and golden sunny hair. Her bangs framed the side of her face and a long braid running down her back. On her head was a white lace the encircled her forehead.

"_Hey, Jaune_," she chirped.

"Hey Alice," Jaune said.

"_Whatcha doing_?" she asked.

"You're bored aren't you?"

"_I guess we really are twins, aren't we? But seriously, where are you_?"

"I'm in Aurbis with my team and two others. We're on a mission right now," Jaune said.

"Jaune? Who are you talking to?" Pyrrha said, peeking out from the bottom bunk.

"_Is that you're partner Jaune?_" Alice asked upon hearing Pyrrha's voice.

"Yeah," Jaune said, moving his scroll to show Pyrrha's face.

"_Hey! You're the Pumpkin Pete Girl!_" Alice said.

"Umm, yes. Hello, I'm Pyrrha Nikos. You are?" she asked.

"_Alice. Jaune-Jaune's twin sister. I'm the Sun to his Moon!_" Alice said. "_Are you his girlfriend by any chance?"_

Jaune and Pyrrha sputtered at her words. Jaune almost dropped the scroll and in an attempt to catch it, fell off the bunk and onto the floor.

"Ow," he said, groaning.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked. She had caught his scroll once he dropped it.

"Yeah. And no, Alice, we're not dating," Jaune said. Pyrrha nodded but one could see disappointment hidden deep within her eyes.

"_Aww, you two looked cute together. Just imagine all the red-haired blue-eyed children or blonde-haired green-eyed children running around,"_ Alice said.

"I know right!" Nora chimed in.

"_Oh, you must be Nora then. Jaune's told me about you_," Alice said, upon hearing the voice. Her apathy to her leader forgotten, Nora shoved Pyrrha and Jaune out of the way and began to talk to Alice.

"What does he say about us?" Nora fired off.

"_Mostly about how you remind him of Catherine and Jade_," Alice said. "_Now that I look at you. You do kind of remind us of our little sisters_," she said.

Nora felt her heart swell at the comment which was followed by soul-crushing guilt. Jaune thought of her as a sister and she abandoned him to his fate. What kind of friend was she?

Ren noticed a drop in Nora's mood and decided to ask Jaune's sister a question. Perhaps, she could shed some light on the situation. In the past few months that Ren knew him, he knew that Jaune wouldn't do anything without reason. The two knew about Jaune's want to help others and that to him, being a hunter was the way to do that. Yes, they were mad that he cheated his way in but at the same time, even though the two practically ignored him, they did worry about his safety. The two did not approve of how the students reacted to the revelation of his falsified transcripts. The level of their reaction was uncalled for and completely unnecessary. Anger was understandable but emotional and physical abuse, in Ren's eyes, was taking it too far. So, they discreetly let Pyrrha and the staff know when Jaune was being harassed despite the P and the J of JNPR not knowing it. Years as an orphan on the streets allowed one to develop their subtlety to the level near that of expert-level subterfuge.

"Hey, Alice," Ren said. Alice turned her head to Ren.

"_Yes?"_

"Do y-

"**All Beacon Students! Please come down to the Mess Hall!**" the voice announced.

"Hey, Ally. We have to go. I'll text you later, 'kay?" Jaune said, gently taking the scroll from Nora.

"_Sure Jaune Jaune! See ya!"_ Alice said, cutting the link.

"C'mon, let's go," Jaune said.

"Jaune," Ren called. The Knight froze in his tracks.

"When we get back to Beacon, let's talk. Clear this up. Tell us why you did what you did," Ren said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Jaune was trembling at Ren's words. Was he finally being accepted? To be one of them again.

"Jaune?" Nora said, worried once she saw him shaking.

"I'm fine," Jaune said, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

"Yeah. Let's talk," he said, turning around and giving them the first genuine smile he had given at Beacon since this all started.

To the side, Pyrrha smiled slightly. Perhaps… perhaps this was the beginning of Jaune's reintegration into Beacon. Yes, things were looking up.

The team walked down to the mess hall, making idle small talk. Jaune had an air of happiness around him for the first time in a month. Nora and Ren were talking to him. It wasn't much but it was a start. They were finally becoming a team again.

As they stepped foot into the mess hall, a mashed potato made contact with Jaune's face. Jaune wiped it off and saw Yang and Sky laughing at him. The two high fived while Blake shook her head in disapproval. She looked over and shot Jaune an apologetic glance.

Team JNPR decided to sit at another table. Jaune began to eat the sub-par food that they served at the base. It made Beacon's lunch look like Heaven.

"So, mind explaining to me why you decided to sit elsewhere?" Glynda said, sitting down next to them.

"Jaune was being harassed, Professor. As a team, we decided to sit elsewhere," Ren said.

"I see," Glynda said. Inside, she was happy that Ren and Nora were at least giving Jaune a chance.

"Next time, inform me," she said.

"Oh, Professor," Jaune said.

"Hmm," Glynda said.

"Alice called. I think she wanted to know if you wanted to come home to Domremy for old time's sake for the Festival of Israfil," Jaune said.

"I'd love to. I'll see if I can ask Ozpin for a break," she said.

"What's the Festival of Israfil?" Nora asked, swallowing her food.

"It's a yearly festival dedicated to the Goddess of Life and Healing, Israfil. She's also the patron deity of my hometown," Jaune said.

"Hmm, if it's alright with you. Can Nora and I accompany you and Pyrrha?" Ren asked.

Jaune visibly brightened at his words. "Of course!" he said.

Glynda found herself smiling. Perhaps, things were looking up for the young Arc.

* * *

Teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL all stood behind Glynda Goodwitch, who was conversing with Talos. Behind Talos was a rather large detachment of Atlesian troops and androids.

"Are you sure that you can spare this many troops?" Glynda asked.

"Of course. That network of routes is a crucial communications point to settlements that do not possess a CCT tower. Reclaiming this route is of the utmost importance. Don't worry, we have several more troops here that we received from General Ironwood. Aurbis will be fine in their absence," Talos said.

"I can't thank you enough for these reinforcements," Glynda said.

"Anything to ensure the success of this mission," he said.

Glynda nodded.

"You will be using the Dreadnaught. It is a massive Atlesian ship specifically designed for transporting personnel and equipment. The ship can withstand attacks from chimeras and nevermore so you do not have to worry about that. However, there have been sightings of Griffon and Drakes roaming the area so please do be careful. I am not like the other generals who will blindly put my faith into a ship. Nothing is indestructible after all," Talos said.

* * *

Jaune found himself vomiting over the railings of the deck of the ship. Pyrrha stood next to him rubbing his back, making soothing circular motions as her partner emptied the contents of his stomach.

"Oh, Israfil, I hope no one gets hit by a load of projectile vomit," Jaune groaned. "HURK! BLEEEGGGHHH!"

"We're almost there," Ren said, looking at his team leader with some sympathy.

"Oh, Israfil, Mikhael, Jibril, Uriel, Samael, Anael, and all the Gods, why did I forget to bring fucking pills!" Jaune wailed.

After several more minutes of pure gastric torture, the ship finally landed and everyone vacated the vehicle and made their way down into the clearing. Glynda walked up and stood in front of the teams and the detachment.

"Okay, our objective is to clear the entire area of Grimm and hunt down the Alpha in the area. Team RWBY, you will take the east, JNPR will take the west, and CRDL will take the North. A third of the troops and I shall take the south while the rest will remain here to safeguard the landing point. Once you're done, we shall meet back here. Understood!" Glynda said, looking every bit the strict huntress she was.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL all walked off into the woods. Jaune was feeling uneasy about the whole thing. How could a pack of Beowolves overcome an entire Atlesian detachment?

"Let's split up here and meet back in the clearing," Ruby said, her grip on Crescent Rose tightening. Everyone nodded.

Suddenly, Blake froze. Her ears twitched as she picked up several sounds all closing in around them.

"We have company," Blake said, transforming Gambol Shroud into its katana form.

Several Beowolves leaped from the bushes, causing the teams to scatter. Ruby swung her scythe, decapitating one of the wolves.

Yang ducked underneath the claws of a Beowulf and punched it, firing Ember Celica upon impact and creating a massive hole in its torso.

Weiss summoned her glyphs and created several ice spikes directing them with Myrtenaster, impaling another Beowulf.

While everyone else was fighting, Jaune raised his shield and blocked an attack from a Beowulf. He thrust Crocea Mors into its chest killing it.

An unholy roar ripped through the entire area. Jaune turned and saw a Yeti heading their way.

"We have more Beowolves incoming!" Weiss yelled as she used her glyphs to summon a massive pillar of ice.

_We also have a yeti coming in and Israfil knows what!_ Jaune thought as he dodged another Beowulf.

"Damnit! We have to lead them away from the ship!" Jaune yelled. Forgetting their hatred for the Arc just for a moment, Weiss nodded agreeing with him.

"Alright Arc, what's your plan?" she said.

"I need you and Ruby to act as bait and distract the Yeti. Pyrrha, use your control over metals to sense out all metal reserves in the ground," Jaune said, decapitating a Beowulf.

"But Jaune, my control isn't to that po-!"

"Still, you have to try because at this rate, we'll be lunch!" he said.

"Anyone have lightning dust!?" Nora yelled.

Dove nodded and thew it to her. Nora crushed it in her palm, feeling the electricity course through her. Transforming Magnahild into a hammer, Nora swung it at full force, sending a Beowulf flying through the trees and the shockwave sending all the others back.

"NOW!" Jaune yelled.

Ruby nodded and grabbed Weiss and the two took off towards the Yeti. The massive apeman roared and tried to grab the two but they were too quick. Ruby and Weiss reappeared down several feet from it. The Yeti took off towards them and Ruby and Weiss took off.

"What about the Beowolves!?" Blake yelled.

"There's a ravine near here. We can use that to our advantage like we did when we fought the deathstalker!" Jaune yelled.

Pyrrha nodded and slammed her palm into the ground, concentrating with her utmost effort. She felt it. Metal. Pyrrha raised her palm and black spikes of iron sand came out of the ground, impaling every Beowulf within a 10-foot radius.

She panted. That took more out of her than she thought it would.

"Let's go!" Jaune said, taking off. The rest followed after him. Jaune picked up his scroll and called Weiss.

"_Yeah!"_

"Head to the ravine. It's a few thousand feet west of your location and lead the Yeti there!" he said.

"_Will do!_"

The group ran, killing all the Grimm that had tried to ambush them on the way. They burst through the trees to see Ruby and Weiss appear in front of them. Behind them, a 15-foot tall apeman with black fur and crimson eyes was making a break for them.

"What now Arc? You didn't just lead us here to die did you?" Weiss snapped.

"Are you really fucking doing this right now Ice Bitch!? We're in the middle of a fucking life or death situation here!?" Pyrrha yelled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to come here on what was a _simple_ mission with my back literally against a cliff while a horde of Grimm is surrounding me. So forgive me if I'm mad at that pathetic sack of flesh you call your leader!" Weiss yelled.

Pyrrha restrained herself from grabbing Weisse and throwing her off the ravine.

"Fight later! We got company!" Ruby said.

"Maybe if we're lucky, they'll get Jaune and it'll buy us time to escape," Cardin sneered as he tightened his grip on his mace.

Jaune ignored the feeling of despair building up in his heart in favor of steeling his nerves. His eyes flew to Nora and he nodded.

Nora switched Magnahild to Grenade Launcher Mode and Pyrrha raised her shield. Nora walked away from the group.

"Nora, where are you going!?" Yang yelled as she heard the Beowolves and Yeti getting closer. Suddenly, Nora turned around and ran towards Pyrrha, who kept her shield raised. Nora jumped and landed on the shield as Pyrrha launched her into the air.

Seeing the Beowolves, Nora unleashed a salvo of fire-dust and lightning-dust enhanced grenades. A series of explosions shook the entire as the plant life and ground were torn apart.

Next to them, the Yeti was only several feet away. Jaune began to run through several scenarios in his head. All of them involved dropping the Yeti into the ravine either due to baiting and switching or Ruby flying across the gap.

"Ruby!"

"Yeah!" the reaper responded.

"Can you clear that gap?" Jaune asked.

"Child's play!" she said.

"I need you to bait the Yeti to the edge so we can knock it into the ravine," Jaune said. Ruby nodded and transformed Crescent Rose into sniper mode. She fired a well-aimed bullet, striking through the Yeti's shoulder, causing it to howl in pain. The Yeti roared and picked up its pace. Ruby ran forward to meet it and just as the Yeti made to grab her, she ducked and activated her semblance turning into a streak of rose petals that flew across the gap. The Yeti made to follow allowing it to reach the edge.

Behind it, Yang punched its back with Ember Celica, sending the Yeti flying down into the ravine.

"Okay, that's taken care of what about the-"

"Ruby, behind you!"

Ruby reacted instinctively using her semblance to jump the ravine back to their end. She looked and saw it. An Alpha Beowulf only it was different.

"What the?"

The Beowulf was larger than any Alpha they had ever encountered. It was even larger than that Yeti they encountered. Its bony skull housed two small beady eyes and bone plating covered its back.

"That's not a beowolf," Weiss said, looking in horror and fear.

"A Garm," Pyrrha said.

Garms were the cousins of Beowolves. They were smarter, faster, and much larger than even the Alphas. Garms possessed the ability to command Alpha Beowolves and even regular ones, with them following its commands as a bee does to its hive queen. Some even theorized that the Garm could control other lesser Grimm much like a Dragon would.

The Garm unleashed a roar akin to that of a scream. Everyone was forced to cover their ears as it did. When they uncovered them, they heard the response call of several other beowolves.

"I think we just found what's drawing them here," Yang said, cocking Ember Celica.

"No shit Sherlock," Lark said.

"We need to go and tell Goodwitch what we found," Ren said.

"Easier said than done," Weiss said, gesturing to the horde of Beowolves that just burst through the treeline.

"We have no choice," Ruby said.

Jaune tightened his grip on Crocea Mors. He looked to Pyrrha, who gave him a reassuring smile, though it looked like she didn't believe it herself.

Jaune looked back to the Garm across the ravine.

"We have to take the Garm out of we want to break their formation," Jaune said. Everyone looked towards him with a confused look.

"That Garm is controlling their every movement. It's using them like chess pieces and right now, we're in a checkmate position. We need to take out the king," Jaune said.

"Oh, and how do you propose we do that? If you were paying attention in class, Garms are strong enough to defeat even licensed Hunters. Only veteran hunters are strong enough to take one out," Weiss said.

"That's what Professor Port said about the Yeti but we managed to kill it. Nora, how much ammo do you have left?" Jaune asked.

"Enough," she said, checking Magnahild.

"We don't have much time before that thing sics all those Beowolves on us so we need to do it now," Jaune said.

"What's the plan then?" Ren asked.

"Here's what we have to do," Jaune said.

After he was done, the Garm roared once more and the Beowolves all came charging at them. It kept roaring, calling more and more.

"NOW!" Jaune yelled above its screams. Nora fired a canister at the Garm. Pyrrha used her semblance to guide and propel the grenade.

The Garm, seeing a projectile, caught it in its mouth. It looked at them mockingly but heard a beeping noise. Its eyes drifted down to the flashing light on the canister and roared but it was too late.

The canister exploded, ripping the Garm's head to pieces. Grimm brain matter and skull fragments flew everywhere as the Garm's headless corpse collapsed onto the ground.

The beowolves stopped their charge, seemingly disoriented.

"Now's our chance!" Jaune said. "GO!"

Everyone ran and took off, breaking through the horde. As they broke through the other side, a howl came from one of the Alpha's and then another, and another. They all looked back and saw the Beowolvs charging towards them.

"The fucking Alphas!" Yang cursed as she killed a Beowolf with a punch.

"Shit, what now!?" Weiss yelled as she sliced apart two of them.

"We fight!" Ruby said, launching Blake into the air.

The Faunus unleashed a deluge of bullets, killing several of them.

"Take out the Alphas!" Jaune said. He held up his shield.

"White Light!" he yelled. Pyrrha ran over and responded with her call.

"Sanguine Flash!" she yelled as she vaulted herself off Jaune's shield. She used her shield and her semblance to slam her shield on the ground, creating a shockwave that sent several wolves flying.

"FLOWER POWER!" Jaune yelled.

Nora transformed Magnahild into a hammer and charged herself. Ren killed several beowolves before running to Nora and jumping on the hammer of Magnahild. Nora spun around before swinging Magnahild, launching Ren like a dart to the nearest Alpha. Ren dug the blades of Stormflower right into the Alpha's throat before slicing its neck open killing it.

The students fought for their lives as Beowolf after Beowolf fell to their weapons. However, they couldn't fight forever. The Grimm came in endless waves as the Alphas rallied seemingly every beowolf within the area to fight for them.

To make matters worse, the large accumulation of negative energy attracted other Grimm to the area.

"NEVERMORE!" Dove yelled.

Everyone ran to cover as several black feathers with the durability of steel came raining down from the sky. Massive black ravens circled the area as they screeched seemingly for the death of all the students present within the area.

"Nora!" Jaune called.

"No can do! I'm almost out!" she yelled as she caved in a Beowolf's skull.

"Damnit! I thought that killing the Garm was supposed to help us escape Arc!" Cardin yelled as he killed another Beowolf.

Jaune didn't pay attention as he killed the Beowolf that was attempting to kill Ren. Ren turned around and shot the Beowolf behind Jaune.

"Duck!" Blake yelled as everyone dodged a diving Nevermore.

Ruby, using her semblance, hooked herself onto the Nevermore's neck. She pulled the trigger, causing her to fly back due to recoil and allowing the blade to decapitate the avian Grimm.

"There's too many! Someone call for backup!" Jaune said.

"Cover me!" Pyrrha yelled as she pulled out her scroll. Ren and Jaune immediately ran to cover Pyrrha as she contacted Goodwitch.

* * *

Glynda found it odd that they haven't encountered any Grimm as of yet. There should be some.

"Miss Goodwitch, the area is all clear. The outpost has been vacated and there are no signs of any Grimm anywhere," a soldier reported. Glynda nodded and her green eyes scanned the area.

She caught sight of large claw marks.

_These are too big to be from a Beowolf_, she thought as her hand ran over the gashes. Her eyes widened in recognition when she realized what was here.

"Return to the ship and call Talos immediately!" she ordered. The soldier nodded and ran back.

Glynda pulled out her scroll and took off into the woods with the rest of the troops.

_Damnit! A Garm! Here of all places!_ She thought as she ran.

As she ran, Glynda felt her scroll vibrate. The blonde professor pulled the scroll out and seeing that it was Pyrrha, answered it.

"Yes?"

"_Miss Goodwitch! We need help now!"_

"Give me a sitrep!"

"_We found out what was drawing all the Beowolves here! A Garm! We managed to kill it but the beowolves, there are too many of them!"_

"Pyrrha, I need you all to return to the ship immediately! I'm going to fire a flare that uses specialized dust that attracts Grimm!"

"_R-right!"_

"When you see the flare, run. It'll buy you thirty seconds!"

"_O- Okay!"_

Glynda cut the call and stopped running. She pulled a flare gun out of her pack. She fished around in her bag for dust. Upon finding it, she loaded the black dust into the flare.

Black dust was a special type of dust found in the Land of the Grimm or Land of Darkness. The dust attracted Grimm like there was no tomorrow for unknown reasons. She pointed the gun to the air and fired it.

The flare traveled high into the sky before bursting into a cloud of black and violet smoke.

* * *

Pyrrha put her scroll away. As she was about to speak, a Beowolf snuck up from behind and swiped its paw at her, shattering what was left of her aura and sending her crashing into a tree. The red-headed champion slid to the ground unconscious.

"PYRRHA!" Jaune yelled. He ran over and decapitated the Beowolf. Seeing a few more surround his unconscious partner, Jaune snapped. His eyes flickered to violet for a split second, causing the Beowolves to freeze momentarily.

Taking advantage of their brief lapse, Jaune slaughtered all three Grimm. Kneeling next to her, he sighed in relief when he found a pulse.

"Nora! Ren! Anyone! Grab Pyrrha and get her back to the ship!" Jaune yelled. Ruby appeared next to him along with Ren and Nora.

"Ruby, get Pyrrha back onto the ship! We'll buy you time!" Jaune said.

The rose-themed reaper nodded as Jaune handed her Pyrrha's prone form. A beowolf lunged at them but was blocked by Jaune. He turned and stared Ruby in the eye.

"GO!" he roared.

"We'll come back with backup!" Ruby said before she and Pyrrha disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. Ren and Nora looked at Jaune with worry in their eyes.

Turning his head, Jaune smiled a little and bashed the Beowolf and disemboweled it with Crocea Mors.

The two nodded and took off to make sure Ruby got back to the ship safely.

Suddenly, all the Grimm turned their heads simultaneously. In the distance was a violet light that emitted a black mist.

"They're distracted! Let's g-!" unfortunately, no one heard Jaune as an Alpha slashed him across his chest. The only downside of Black Dust was it only worked against weak Grimm. Stronger Grimm required larger quantities for it to have any effect.

As he flew into a tree, he caught sight of everyone running off. They must have seen it too.

"Wait!" he yelled, trying to get their attention. However, his cry for help was seemingly ignored.

He stood to his feet and found himself surrounded by Grimm. "Tch!" he said as Jaune charged towards the hoard intending to break past them. He made a promise to them. A promise to her. And he had no intention of breaking it.

Ren and Nora gave him a chance to clear things up.

He needed to go back to Domremy to see his family.

He needed to go to the Festival with Pyrrha!

"Come get some motherfuckers!" Jaune yelled as he drove his sword through a Beowolf. The Grimm snarled and pounced on the knight.

* * *

Ruby arrived at the ship with an unconscious Pyrrha. She collapsed at the ramp and Ren and Nora arrived shortly after.

The captain came down and saw her.

"We need to leave now!" he said. "Goodwitch reported that you guys saw a horde of Beos along with a Garm."

The three nodded.

"Then let's go!"

"Wait. We need to go back for Jaune," Nora protested.

"No time, we sighted some Drakes and Griffons heading here as well," he said. A rustling from the trees alerted the three hunters-in-training and they trained their weapons on the new arrivals.

"GO GO GO!" Yang yelled as she ran up the ramp, followed by Blake, Weiss, and CRDL. Goodwitch and the troops also came out of the foliage and entered the ship.

Noticing an unconscious Pyrrha and assuming Jaune was inside, Glynda used her semblance and carried her inside and made her way to the ship's med bay.

"C'mon kid!" the man said. Ruby glared.

"But Jaune!" she yelled. Yang ran down the ramp and grabbed a protesting and struggling Ruby, while Cardin and Russell dragged a tired but struggling Ren and Nora into the ship's hangar.

"NO!" Ruby screamed as she watched them lift the ramp. The Dreadnaught's engines roared to life as it took off and sped back to Aurbis.

* * *

Jaune was panting heavily as he killed another. His body was littered with cuts and bruises. Across his chest, his armor was torn and slashed by one of the Alphas leaving three deep lacerations as blood seeped out of them. To top it all off, his back was against the wall and by the wall, it was the edge of the ravine.

_Like fucking normal wolves. Cornering their prey_, he thought bitterly.

The sound of a ship's engines caught his attention and his heart sank as he saw the Dreadnaught take off and leave.

_They left me?_ He thought with wide eyes.

A sharp pain brought him out of his thoughts as a Beowolf delivered an upwards slash, sending him into the air and over the edge of the ravine.

Jaune watched the opening of the ravine as he fell. His life flashed before his eyes as he remembered the time she spent with his family. With his team and Team RWBY before the transcripts. The time he spent with Pyrrha. He apologized for forging his transcripts as he fell. For being such a failure.

_I'm sorry Pyrrha. Looks like I won't be able to take you to the festival._

This was Jaune's last thought before he hit the river at the bottom and then everything went black.

* * *

**I hope this chapter cleared up how Ruby, Nora, and Ren felt about Jaune even though they were angry with him. In every Jaune fic where his transcripts are found out and involve him being abandoned by everyone, other than Pyrrha, I doubt that Ruby, Ren, and Nora would truly abandon him. Would they be mad? Yes. Anyone would. After all, how would you feel if you worked all your life to enter the university of your dreams and found out someone faked their way into the same school. You'd be pissed right? What if it was your closest friend? You'd still be pissed, maybe the cold shoulder for a while but in the end, you'll forgive them eventually. Or not depending on what kind of person you are. Anyway, review to let me know how I can make it better. Rav. Follow. You know the drill. Remember, have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!~**


	4. Arc 1: Missing

**Hey, hey and welcome to the new chapter. I have decided to try and fit this story into the week so I'm thinking of doing alternating updates with this and my other story, Beyond the Gap. Anyway, welcome to the first arc. Heh, get it. It takes place right after the fall of Jaune so, no time-skipping until a few chapters later. Anyway, let's get on with the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. Teeth Rooster does.**

* * *

A young fox faunus about the age of seven ran from a group of bullies. It was always like this for her every time she left the old lady's house. Every kid picked on her, even her fellow faunus. Now, you might be thinking. Why would her fellow faunus bully her? It's simple.

It's all simple. Little Mae was different from other faunus. Rather than being born with a single anima feature. She was born with two. Mae had a pair of fluffy ears atop her head which was covered in messy, shoulder-length pink hair and a bushy tail.

Mae expertly weaved through crowds of people as she made to outrun the people chasing her. She turned the corner into a maze of stands she knew like the very back of her hand. Like a ninja, she vaulted, climbed, and overall parkoured her way through the shopping district. She arrived at a familiar area and immediately climbed over the fence before sliding down a bridge. She ran to some bushes in the woods and hid.

Above her, the sound of kids could be heard.

"Where'd the freak go!?"

"I don't know."

"She probably went into the woods."

"Good riddance."

Seeing that they could not find her, the bullies left. In the bushes, Mae's ears twitched as she listened for any sign of them. After confirming that they were long gone, Mae began to cry underneath the tree.

Why did the other kids hate her? Was it her tail? Her ears?

_Maybe… maybe if I don't have a tail and ears… people will like me_, the young girl thought. She stood up and began to walk alongside the river. She loved the river. The river calmed her down and the snow around it made the area prettier.

As she walked, she noticed that the water was red. Raising her eyebrow at the sight, she followed the trail. The further she walked, the darker the shade of red the water had become. Upon coming at the small waterfall at the head of the river, she saw it. Her eyes grew wide. A boy. Older than her by the looks of it. He was hurt. Bruises littered his body. His armor was severely damaged and he had minor cuts. Parts of his jacket was torn to shreds. The oddest part wasn't the fact that the boy only had minor wounds but looked as if he had bled an entire river. No, it was the Grimm. Beowolf. A young one. It was circling him.

Mae hid behind a rock. Expecting to hear the sounds of flesh tearing and bones crunching, what she heard as completely unexpected.

_Whines?_ She peeked from her place behind the rock and saw one of the Beowolves nudging the boy's prone form with its snout. The wolf Grimm let out a sad whine as it kept nudging him.

_What should I do?_ She thought. As she was looking, the Beowolf looked up and spotted her. It growled as it stood over the boy protectively.

Steeling herself, Mae calmly approached the Grimm and the boy. The beowolf snarled and snapped at her. Mae yelped and back away.

"Maybe I should get help…," she muttered. However, her mind produced another thought. If she went back, she'll have to go through them again. Honestly, she'd rather deal with the Grimm but the boy needed help.

"L-look!" she began to speak. The Grimm kept growling at her.

"I'm going to go get help. Can you keep him safe?" she asked, slapping herself internally for thinking that a beowolf could understand her.

The beowolf looked between its ward and her and sat down. It bobbed its head up and down as if imitating a nod.

"Okay!" she said and ran off.

_C' mon old lady! You better be there when I get back and not skip town!_ Mae thought as she pushed her small body to run across the snow and back to the village.

* * *

**Dreadnaught**

* * *

Glynda gently carried Pyrrha through the halls of the Dreadnaught and to their medical bay. After handing her over to the medical staff, she stood off to the side and watched them work until one of the medics came over and assured her that the girl was fine. Just some minor bruising. Whatever was left of her aura would have taken most of the damage but to be safe, they were going to keep an eye on her in the event of a possible head injury.

Glynda nodded and went to go check on the other students. As she walked, she found it odd that she didn't see or hear Jaune the entire time they were aboard and the ship was in flight.

As she walked, her heels clicking across the hard metal floor, she came upon her other students. The teams were in the hanger of the ship. They were in the middle of a heated argument and it was drawing everyone's attention. The oddest thing was one of the crew members was involved.

"HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE HIM BEHIND!?" Ruby yelled, her silver eyes boring holes into the crew member's skull.

"It was us or him! There were too many Grimm in the area and the possibility of a Ga-"

"The Garm was dead," Ren said in a cool voice.

"Still," he said.

"And what about you!? There were six of you!" Ruby said, glaring at her sister and Weiss.

"We needed to get Blake over here to get medical treatment!" Yang said.

"She has a minor cut! A _MINOR_ CUT! It could've easily been healed!" Ruby screamed.

"Ruby, calm down. Arc is probably still alive. Likely clinging to a tree branch," Weiss said, blowing her off.

"Did you forget who got us out of there in the first place!?" she screamed.

"Of course not! Arc may have planned everything out but in the end, it was a combined effort," Weiss said.

"It was because of Jaune's plans that we're still here Weiss," Blake said as her arm was being bandaged up.

"Yes, but we did all the work," Cardin said.

"Quiet Winchester," Blake growled. Cardin huffed and backed off.

Ruby nodded in thanks to Blake and turned her glare back to the others.

"Why did you keep us from going back for him!?"

"I'm not going to let you go out there and risk your life!" Yang argued.

"You seemed to have no problem letting me enter an academy where I risk my life every day! What's the difference between now and then!?"

"The difference is you're risking your life for nothing. We don't even know if Jaune is even alive! And even if you went back down there, with his nonexistent skills, you'd be dead! Both of you! I'm not going to put his life over yours! Your life is worth more than his!" Yang said.

Ruby's eyes grew wide, incapable of believing what her sister had just said.

"What's going on here?" Glynda said, having grown tired of the noise.

"Professor! Oh, thank goodness you're here!" Ruby said.

"What happened Ms. Rose? And where is Mr. Arc?" Glynda asked.

Everyone froze. She didn't know? Ruby gulped as she moved to tell her.

Glynda's green eyes widened in complete and utter horror. No, this had to be some sort of sick joke. Jaune was going to jump out from one of the crates and surprise her. She looked down at Ruby who had a genuine look of fear and concern on her face.

"Very funny. Now tell Mr. Arc to come out from one of the crates," she said. "I should tell you that pranking Beacon Staff can land you in detention."

Ruby's eyes widened. She thought she was lying?

"I'M NOT KIDDING! JAUNE IS STILL DOWN THERE! LOOK!" Ruby said, shoving her scroll in Glynda's face.

This time, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Jaune's signal wasn't here. This either meant his scroll was dead which was impossible since it had 24-hour battery life, he was too far for the signal, or the scroll was destroyed.

Glynda whirled on one of the crew members.

"YOU LEFT ONE OF MY STUDENTS!" she screeched.

The other crew members began backing away as Glynda slowly approached the man. She grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

"W- We're sorry! But we had to think fo everyone's safety! We won't risk everything for one boy!" the crew members said as he struggled in her grasp.

Glynda dropped him and turned to the other students.

"Ms. Rose, why was Mr. Arc still there in the first place?" she asked.

"Pyrrha was knocked out so he had me, Nora, and Ruby take her back while he and the others stayed behind to buy us time," Ren said.

"Really? And who stated behind?" she asked.

"The remaining members of RWBY and CRDL," Nora answered.

Glynda turned her gaze to them. The seven gulped as Glynda's eyes pinned them to their spots.

"We will speak of this later," she said. "I need you to tell the captain to keep this ship here in the air until we get back."

"But ma'am-"

"Now!" she roared.

"Yes ma'am!" the soldier said, running off.

"Take me to your nearest bullhead," Glynda said. A soldier nodded and ran off.

"Ms. Rose, Mr. Lie, Ms. Valkyrie. On me. The rest of you, stay here and look after Ms. Nikos," Glynda said.

"Yes Professor!" they chorused.

_Please be safe Jaune. Just hand on until we get there,_ Glynda thought as she commandeered a bullhead. She sat in the pilot seat and turned to Ruby.

"Ms. Rose, do you remember the location where you fought the Garm?"

"Yes, Ms. Goodwitch," she nodded.

"Good, you'll lead us there," Glynda punched several buttons. In front of them, the hangar bay of the Dreadnaught opened and the bullhead sped out back to the location of the mission.

As they flew, several thoughts, some of them disturbing, flew through their heads. All relvoed around a certain blonde knight. The worry and fear that permeated the atmosphere of the ship were thick. It was so thick that one could grab the blade of Crescent Rose and cut a perfect circle out of it. In an attempt to keep her worries at bay, Glynda began to speak.

"Killing a Garm. A rather impressive feat for a couple of freshmen," she said, focusing on the sky ahead.

The others looked down. The mere mention of the fight reminded them of Jaune.

"It was all because of Jaune," Ren said. "He came up with the strategy to take down the Garm. It's the only reason we're still alive in the first place."

Glynda's green eyes traveled to the reflection within the windshield in the Bullhead. The three looked extremely depressed and that confused her. They _ignored_ Jaune's plight during his time of suffering at Beacon. Why were they so… sad?

"If I may ask, I was under the impression that you hated Mr. Arc alongside the rest of the student body. The only ones that didn't hate him or stuck by him were Ms. Nikos and as of recently, Ms. Belladonna. So, why so glum?" she asked.

The three looked taken aback by her question. Nora started to fume and was about to deliver a slew of snappy remarks when Ren spoke up for the two of them.

"We never hated Jaune, Professor," he said.

Glynda raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, then why did you leave him to his fate?"

"The way Jaune got into the Academy… It was like a spit in our face. We worked hard, trained underneath a huntsman we came across on our journeys. He… He cheated his way into Beacon. We had to work," Ren said.

"And to top it all off, he was made leader without any skill at all. The only thing he had to show for was tactics. A leader is supposed to be able to direct the battlefield and at the same time, be able to be there with the people he's leading," Ruby said.

Glynda sighed. She understood where they were coming from. Jaune was unskilled in combat, only having started his training when he snuck in. But, if she had to find a reason as to why he tried to get in, it was the pressure. Jaune's parents were no laughing matter among the older huntsman and huntresses. To everyone else, they were Sieg and Jeanne Arc, owners of the Sleeping Dragon Tavern in Domremy. To the older hunters, they were Sieg, the Dragoon Knight, and Jeanne, the Crimson Saint. Two of the most powerful hunters to ever exist. Stronger than the members of Team STRQ. Stronger than even Summer herself. People speculated that they could rival Ozpin in power. And so, she understood why Jaune was the way he was.

"Mr. Lie, has Jaune ever talked to any of you about his life at home?" she said.

"He talks to Pyrrha but I've never heard him mention anything beyond his sisters before. The way he talks about his parents, he idolizes them but at the same time, everytime he talks about them, he loses a little light in his eyes," Ren said.

"That is understandable. It's common for a child to want to live up to the expectations of their parents. To become worthy of their legacy. It was only fate that brought Jaune to Beacon," Glynda said.

"Professor… who are Jaune's parents?" Ruby asked.

"Tell me, have any of you three heard of the Dragoon Knight and the Crimson Saint?" Glynda asked.

"Yeah! They're some of the most badass and strongest hunters alive!" Nora exclaimed. She was a big fan. Especially of the Crimson Saint.

"I see their epithets have lived on especially after retirement. That's how you know them. To Jaune, they can be referred as two titles. Two titles that brought happiness to their face that I've only seen since the two fell in love," Glynda remarked.

Ren's eyes widened at her implication. It made so much sense. The comment about escaping his parents' shadows. Jaune's drive to become stronger. His need to protect others. The refusal to ask for help.

"They're Jaune's parents aren't they?" he said.

"Yes. To live up to the legacy of his parents and protect others like they once did. That is Jaune's goal," Glynda said.

"However, Sieg and Jeanne didn't want their kids to live the lives they had led. Luckily for them, their two eldest became something else but little Jaune and Alice always wanted to be hunters. To become the greatest tag team in all of Remnant, just like their parents had been. The two refused them until eventually, they gave in and began to train them. The rest you know. With only one year of basic training, Jaune got ahold of false transcripts and ran off to Beacon. Imagine Sieg and Jeanne's surprise when they heard Jaune got in. Actually, they weren't surprised at all. It was like they knew," Glynda said.

"Jaune has training!?" they all yelled.

"Of course. The only reason all of you see him as unskilled is because compare to you, Jaune only has one year whereas you've all had your entire lives. If Jaune didn't have basic training, he would have died out there during Initiation," Glynda said.

The three looked down. The guilt was welling up inside them. This whole time, Ruby pushed Pyrrha to expel Jaune due to him being unskilled. Due to him being the weak link. As she reflected on Goodwitch's words, her mind remembered the fight they just had against the Garm and the Grimm Horde. Jaune had held his own and killed nearly as much Grimm as any of them had. Her heart clenched in worry at what they would find.

Next to her, Nora was crying silently, staring at the floor while Ren rubbed her back, clenching his fists to the point that they drew blood.

Glynda drove the Bullhead silently as her three passengers stewed in their own guilt behind her.

"We're almost there. Get ready," she said as she began to descend to their landing area.

* * *

After landing the bullhead, Glynda led them out of the ship. She drew her riding crop and looked to Ruby.

"Ms. Rose, lead the way," she said.

Ruby nodded and took off, running without her semblance with Glynda, Ren, and Nora following after her.

After running for a few minutes, the four arrived at the edge of the ravine. The grimm had left long ago but they kept themselves tense and ready. Glynda walked to the ravine's edge and knelt. Before her, was a trail of blood that led off the edge. Her worst fears were coming true before her.

"Ms. Goodwitch…," Ruby stared in horror at the blood trail. There was just so much blood.

"There's a chance he might be alive down in the ravine but we're running out of time. We need to get down there, Professor," Ren said, looking over the edge.

"I know that Mr. Ren. Please stand close to me," Glynda said. The three stood close to her as Glynda flicked her riding crop. The entire piece of ground that they stood on began to glow violet as she began to completely carve it out of the cliff. She waved it and began to lower the piece of ground down to the bottom of the cliff.

The three students stood nervously at what they would find. Images of Jaune's mutilated corpse flew through their minds. His lifeless blue eyes, bloody blonde hair, his entrails spilled out of his torso, or perhaps even a half-eaten corpse awaited them down there. Glynda set the chunk fo earth down gently and the four Beacon residents hopped off the platform.

"Spread out and search along the riverside," she said.

"Roger!" the three scattered and began to search. Ren had taken the upstream of the river just in case Jaune had swum while Nora had decided to stay with Glynda to investigate the area where they had descended for any clues as to where Jaune would have gone off to. Ruby volunteered to head downstream.

Ruby walked along the riverside, scanning both the shoreline and the river for any sign of Jaune. Unfortunately, all she found was a faded pool of red. After several minutes of walking and killing a few stray Grimm who she found… she guessed the right word was mourning since the wolves were howling a sad howl, she spotted something white and glinting in the sunlight. Feeling a sinking feeling in her gut, she began to approach the glinting object.

Her silver eyes widened in horror as she screamed. Glynda, Ren, and Nora had run over when they heard her.

"Ms. Rose! What happened!? What did you find!?" Glynda said as she saw a hysterical Ruby on her knees, holding something close to her chest. She tried to comfort the sobbing girl as well as grab whatever she was holding. However, Ruby was putting up a fight. Every struggle the girl made was making Glynda's sense of foreboding growing more and more.

After a few minutes of struggle, Ruby had calmed down enough to speak coherent words.

"P-... Professor! J- Jaune! H- He's!" Ruby said as she revealed Crocea Mors to Glynda. The weapon had fresh bloodstains on the grip meaning that Jaune had dropped it.

"Where did you find this Ms. Rose!?" Glynda asked frantically.

Ruby pointed to a nearby bush. Glynda and Ren walked over and their hearts dropped. Pieces of Jaune's armor and the shield of Crocea Mors lay there damaged. The shield was broken and the pieces that were left look like they had been torn off.

"R- Ren? Jaune, h- he's still…," Nora asked, trailing off as soon as she saw the armor and shield after walking over.

"I- I don't know," Ren said.

"H- Hey guys! Jaune's scroll! I have a signal!" Ruby said, sparking new hope inside of them.

The group crowded around Ruby as she began to walk in the direction that the signal was strongest. As they got closer, the anticipation at what they might find grew. Expecting to see Jaune or at least his corpse, they only found a cracked, bloody scroll and pieces of his clothing.

Ruby dropped to her knees and began crying. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she repeated over and over between sobs.

Nora began to cry onto Ren's arms while Ren was staring at the ground angrily. Tears flowed freely from his eyes.

Glynda wanted to cry but she had to stay strong. Remnant had lost one of her defenders today and she had to make sure that he was honored and remembered. Taking Crocea Mors from Ruby and grabbing the shield and armor fragments from their location on the shoreline, Glynda walked back to where they descended followed by three grieving Beacon Students.

* * *

_Pyrrha sat next to Jaune, leaning her head on his shoulder. They were at the local park in Domremy. A silver ring with a violet amethyst sat on her left ring finger while a silver ring with a green emerald sat on Jaune's. The two smiled happily as a blonde-haired girl with green eyes ran around, screaming joyously._

"_Hey, Pyrrha?"_

"_Yes, Jaune?"_

"_You know that I'll always be there for you right?"_

_Pyrrha was confused by his question but answered nonetheless._

"_Y- Yeah! Of course, I know," she said._

"_And will you always be there for me?" he asked._

"_Jaune, why are you asking me this? We made a vow to always be there for each other. It was even in our vows. No matter what, as long as we're together," she said, quoting their wedding vows._

"_Then why weren't you there?"_

"_There for what?"_

"_When I was bleeding out and getting mauled by Grimm and our friends?"_

"_Jaune what are you ta-" she turned to scold him when her words died in her throat. There, sitting next to her was Jaune. Half of his face was burned off. His arm exhibited puncture wounds akin to that of a rapier. His chest and abdominal area were covered in bullet wounds and slash marks while his left arm was broken with his ulna and radius sticking out. A Beowolf was gnawing on his throat, blood spilling all over his hoodie._

"_Why did you let me die Pyrrha?" he asked as his voice warped._

"_N- No! Jaune!" she said, reaching out to him. However, she couldn't move. Pyrrha's eyes widened when the Beowolf pulled on Jaune's throat, ripping it off before howling. Grimmified versions of her friends all appeared from the shadows, grinning sadistically. _

_She began to scream and beg for them to stop as they all took turns mutilating Jaune's body. Her anguish only made them laugh harder before a Grimm Ruby brought Jaune before her. His eyes looked at her asking why._

"_J- Jaune… Ruby… please… let him go," she begged._

"_I'm sorry. What was that?" "Ruby" asked, cupping her hand around her ear._

"_Please let him go!" Pyrrha pleaded._

"_Why didn't you say so?" "Ruby" said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Ruby" dropped Jaune and Pyrrha sighed in relief. However, her relief turned to horror as "Ruby" hooked Crescent Rose around Jaune's throat and fired, the recoil causing the scythe to cut through what remained of Jaune's throat, decapitating him._

_His head rolled over to her as his lifeless blue eyes looked up into her own._

"_JAAUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEE!" she screamed, finally being able to move. She grabbed his head and hugged it close to her as she screamed and sobbed. Her agonized screams being heard throughout the village._

"_Pyrrha…," she looked down and saw Jaune's head talking._

"_You did this," it said._

"_N- No!" she dropped the head and backpedaled away._

"_You're the reason I died," the head said before "Ruby" came back and brought her foot down, squashing Jaune's head like a grape._

"NOOOOOOOO! JAUNNNNE!"

"WOAH! PYRRHA, CALM DOWN!" Blake said, running over to the champion as she began to fight against her, sobbing like she had just seen something horrible.

"Yang! Come help me with this!" Blake yelled at her partner. Yang ran over and the two held the distraught champion down as she struggled, screaming for Jaune.

"Dammit! Someone get a medic or something to calm her down!" Yang yelled as she watched a black glow envelop every metal object in the room.

Sky ran out and came back a few minutes later with a medical officer, who took out a syringe that he inserted into Pyrrha's neck, causing her struggling to weaken until eventually, she passed out.

"What did you do?" Blake asked, her ears twitching in worry as she saw Pyrrha pass out.

"A minor sleeping agent. It'll only work for a few minutes since her aura is back too full," the medic said. "She should be fine when she wakes up."

The medic left, leaving the group alone with a sleeping Pyrrha Nikos. True to his words, Pyrrha did wake up about six minutes later. This time, she didn't scream, she just rubbed her head as a slight headache came about due to the sedative.

"Wha- How did I?" she asked as she recognized the metallic walls of the Dreadnaught.

"Hey, you're finally awake," Blake said, sitting in a chair next to her.

"Blake? What are you-"

"It's okay. We're on the Dreadnaught. Jaune had Ruby take you back after a Beowulf sucker punched you," she said.

"Oh," Pyrrha looked down at her bedsheets. "Where's Professor Goodwitch?"

A beeping sound was heard through the intercom as an announcement came in that a bullhead had just landed in the hangar of the Dreadnaught.

"She just got back," Yang said.

"Oh, did she not come back with us?" Pyrrha said.

The others looked away while Blake sent them slight glares. She had seen Jaune get slashed by that Alpha and was about to help when Yang and Weiss grabbed her, taking her back to the ship with them. However, Blake knew that they didn't abandon Jaune on purpose. It was the chaos of the battle that prevented them from noticing that they had left him behind.

"Umm, Jaune's no-"

"Excuse me, all of you. Your professor's coming here and I thought you'd like to know," an Atlesian soldier said, peeking into their room.

"Yeah, just let her know we're all in here," Weiss said.

"Yes, Ma'am," the soldier said as she ran off.

"Right so, Jaune. He's…" Blake began but couldn't find it in herself to say anything.

"He's what?" Pyrrha pressed.

"Ah, Ms. Nikos. You're awake," Glynda remarked, walking into the room with a series of objects wrapped in white cloth floating behind her. Her forest green eyes darted to each and every occupant in the room.

"Please leave. Except for you Miss Belladonna," Glynda said.

"Wait! Why does Blake get to-"

"I'll tell you when we get back to the academy. I'm merely here to check up on these two," Glynda said smoothly and evenly as to not betray the sorrow and rage she was currently feeling.

The others filed out of the room and Nora, Ren, and Ruby walked in. The three looked horrible and Ruby's eyes were red from what seemed like crying as was Nora's and Ren's.

"Now, I'm telling you two this because you two defended Mr. Arc in his time of need," Glynda said.

"What? Where's Jaune Professor?" Pyrrha asked worried about the wellbeing of her partner.

Glynda bit her lip. This was never easy. Telling the surviving partner the fate of their partner's. She felt bad for the girl. She had honest, pure, and genuine feelings for the blonde knight and Glynda could tell Jaune was developing similar feelings for the redhead as well. And now, it seemed that fate was cruel to rob them of a possible future together.

"Ms. Nikos. I regret to inform you that Mr. Arc is no longer with us," Glynda said.

Blake's eyes widened as she stared at Glynda disbelievingly. Her amber eyes darted to Ren, Nora, and Ruby who all refused to look at her. Her heart dropped. Jaune was dead? One of the kindest people at Beacon who also stood up for faunus was dead? Blake felt something wet run down her cheeks and her hand went up to wipe them away. She was crying.

As Glynda said those words, Pyrrha's soul shattered. Her face went through a series of emotions before falling on one of nothing.

"Please don't joke around Professor. I know that Jaune's behind that door," Pyrrha said as a small smile made it sway to her face. "You can come out now Jaune. That's really funny," Pyrrha said, leaning to the side to see the doorway, expecting Jaune to come out only to find no one.

"Miss Nikos, I know this may seem hard to process but just know that we shall help you get throu-"

"HE'S NOT DEAD DAMNIT! He made a promise to our team. We made a promise to each other to go to Domremy during the break! He can't di-"

"Denial will not make him come back," Glynda said, causing Pyrrha to freeze. Glynda sighed and willed one of the cloth-covered objects to come to her. She grabbed it and held it in her hands waiting slightly before handing it to Pyrrha.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nik- Pyrrha. I knew how much he meant to all of us. To you, especially," Glynda said, handing Pyrrha to object.

Pyrrha shakily held the object in her hand. It felt like… no, that was impossible. If this was here, then that meant that…

She hesitantly unwrapped the cloth and saw the familiar white tint of Jaune's signature weapon. Pyrrha immediately began to shake her head as the stark reality hit her.

"No, no, no, no. Not him. Please, Jibril. Please not him," Pyrrha said as she fully unwrapped the object. In her hands was Crocea Mors only the scabbard was damaged, revealing some of the blade underneath. "Jaune…," she whispered as she looked at the shield.

"You promised," she said. "JAUUUNE!" she sobbed as she clutched the weapon like a lifeline.

Everyone looked away as Pyrrha began to sob like a wife who just received news that her husband had died in the war.

"Jaune," Pyrrha whispered as she held onto the blade tightly.

* * *

Blue eyes opened to see the ceiling of a log cabin above him. Jaune groaned as he tried to sit up only to fail due to the sudden surge of pain that came from the right side of his chest.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake. I was worried that you died in your sleep but then again we all die anyway," an unfamiliar voice called out.

"W-What? Where am I?" Jaune said, pushing himself against the pain into sitting position.

"You're in my cabin. This young lady on your left brought me to you," the voice said. Jaune's eyes trailed down to the mop of pink hair with two fox ears that twitched every so often sleeping with her head on his bed.

"Care for something to drink?" Jaune looked and saw an elderly woman with a tan complexion sitting on his right. She had a walking stick with a skull as the handle. She wore a navy blue tabasco style dress with long sleeves. She had a long cloak that was held together by silver shoulder pauldrons and a beaded necklace. But her most distinguishing features were her mechanical blue eyes.

"Um, sure. Water, please," Jaune asked politely. The elderly woman reached over and poured him a glass before handing it to him.

"Your aura seems to have done most of the work, healing you though by all means, you should be dead. No one loses that much blood and lives," the lady said.

"I didn't bleed that mucb did I?"

"Kid, you turned half the river red with your blood," she said dryly. "Between that and the Grimm, you're a very weird kid."

"Grimm? How'd you get me away from them?" Jaune asked as he sipped his glass of water.

"By asking."

Jaune spit his water and choked.

"I'm sorry. Asking?" he said, looking at her like she was insane. Grimm can't be reasoned with. They were mindless soulless beasts!

"Yup. That Beowolf outside had you locked down. It was protecting you like how it would protect its Alpha," the woman said.

"W- What!?"

"Yup," she said, nonchalantly. "Want me to let it in?"

"What? No!"

"Too late," the lady walked over and opened the door and a beowolf the size of a chair ran into Jaune. Jaune raised his arms, fully expecting for some teeth to rip them off only to find himself feeling nothing. Instead, he felt a smooth object nudging his forearm.

He lowered them and saw the Beowolf sitting on the floor next to him, wagging its tail like a dog happy to see its owner again. To be honest, it was one of the weirdest things Jaune had ever had the privilege of witnessing.

"Umm, good boy?" he said, rubbing its head. Its fur was pleasantly soft.

Upon hearing the boy, the Beo growled.

"Okay, a girl then?" he said, scratching behind her ears.

The Beo barked like a demonic hound alerting the other person who was sleeping.

Mae woke up to see the blonde man that she had brought the old lady to petting Grimm. Mae shrieked and ran behind the old lady.

The Beowolf growled at her for the sudden interruption of her head pats. Noticing its suddenly hostile behavior, Jaune increased the intensity, stroking its black fur. The Beowolf calmed down and eventually removed herself from Jaune's hand and laid down on the floor to sleep.

"Are you crazy old lady!? That's a Grimm!" she said, pointing at the sleeping Beowolf.

"Yes, but it's not attacking us at the moment and from what I can tell, it listens to the kid so," the old lady said, sitting down on her chair next to Jaune.

"Still though," the girl said, eyeing the slumbering Beo warily.

"So, who are you guys anyway," Jaune asked, looking between the two.

"Oh silly me, how can I forget? Names! Well for starters, the child over there next to you is Mae. Mae Tamao. She's a fox faunus with a few extra attributes as you can see," the old lady said, pointing her walking stick at Mae.

"Nice to meet you," Jaune said, extending his bandaged hand.

"You too," she said, shaking his.

"And what about you?" Jaune asked, turning to the old woman.

"Maria. My name is Maria Cavalera."

* * *

**Hohoho! Didn't see that coming did you! Hehehehe. I don't know why I'm laughing. And what is Jaune's weird affinity with the Grimm? Who is Maria Cavalera? Will Jaune and Pyrrha ever see each other again? Next time on Dragon Ball Z- I mean D'Arc Is Not Evil. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a review for this story. It gets lonely here sometimes. Also, fav/follow if you enjoyed and remember, have a great day/night or not! The choice is yours.**


	5. Arc 1: A New Member and New Semblance

**Hey, thank you guys for liking this story. I honestly didn't expect this story to become this popular within a week so I appreciate everyone who followed and favorited this entire story. As promised, here is your new chapter and more Jaune! Before we begin this chapter, I would like to tell everyone that there will be a poll for Jaune's new weapon. The choices are as follows:**

**A vibrosword! **

**A kama/scythe like Maria Calavera's. A sort of Master passing her weapon to her student sort of deal.**

**An Aurasaber. It's basically a lightsaber. I'm planning to have a special dust type that works like a Kaiburr Crystal from Star Wars that can store aura and release it as a blade that is contained in an energy field.**

**The Classic sword and shield**

**An O-Katana like Yamato**

**Anyway, remember to vote. The poll will end when the new chapter goes up so get in as many votes for your favorite weapon as you possibly can!**

**Let's get on with the chapter.**

**I do not own RWBY. If I did, Pyrrha would still be alive and standing over Cinder's corpse.**

* * *

**Maria Cavalera's Cabin**

* * *

Jaune sat on the porch of the cabin, watching Mae run around with the Beowolf. It had been three weeks since he woke up and the old lady, Maria, had told him that he needed rest. Some internal injuries would take Aura longer to heal depending on the severity and there was no one in the nearby town with enough medical know-how than she did. Apparently, she was a huntress who retired after she lost her eyes when she was ambushed by a group of rogue hunters. She was eccentric, to say the least. Maria did the chores until Jaune started to walk and then made him do them. In exchange, the old bat had said that after he healed up, she would be teaching him a few tricks to make sure he wouldn't end up in a situation like that ever again. His eyes turned to Nyx.

Nyx, Jaune's new furry friend, was the weirdest beowolf he had ever seen or had the pleasure of not getting ripped apart by. For one, she acted like a puppy. Nyx followed him around, whined whenever Jaune wouldn't pet her, and slept at the foot of his bed. It took a while for her to warm up to Maria and Mae, though she warmed up to the old woman much faster due to her easy-going attitude.

Mae was someone Jaune could sympathize with. The young faunus was bullied by both humans and faunus alike for her extra features, mainly her fluffy tail. To the faunus, she was more animal than she was faunus and to the humans, she was nothing more than a flea-infested fox. He remembered going into town to grab some groceries and brought Mae with him. When she went off to go buy some cookies for herself, Jaune heard a cry of pain from her. He found her in pain as one kid, who was rather plump, stepping on her tail. The kid twisted his foot and she cried out in pain which made something in Jaune snap. He marched over to the kid and started yelling, causing them all to run off in fear after he said that he was a hunter. After that incident, Mae stuck to Jaune like glue. However, it took a bit longer for her and Nyx to get along but the Grimm came to an understanding that she was of no danger to Jaune and let her go. It still surprised him though to see a Grimm like her. She could understand him and followed orders. Nyx also had emotions such as affection where it was previously thought impossible for the grimm to have any semblance of feeling. He learned more and more that she was more than just a mindless, soulless amoral beast.

"You know in all my years, I never thought I'd see the day when a domesticated beowolf existed," Maria said, taking a seat next to him.

"Me neither," Jaune said, sipping some coffee. Coffee. His family loved coffee especially his sister, Saphron. His eyes widened and he spat some coffee out from his mouth.

"Shit! I need to tell my family I'm alright!" Jaune said. "OW!" he covered his head and turned to Maria, who had hit him with her cane.

"Watch your fucking mouth! We have a young, impressionable lady out there with a beast of darkness that can hear us," she hissed.

Jaune deadpanned.

"So, you need to call a member of your family is that it?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, do you have a scroll or anything I can use?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah sure. It's on the table inside," Maria told him. Jaune got up to go call but stopped when he heard Maria speak.

"If I were you, I'd keep quiet about your grimm friend or people will think of you as something dark," she said, her mechanical eyes staring straight into his azure ones.

Jaune nodded and opened the door. He went inside and saw Maria's scroll lying on the table. The morning paper lay next to it alongside an empty cup of coffee and a half-eaten bagel.

"What's your password?" Jaune called out.

"Grimm Reaper!" she yelled back.

_Really, your own title?_ Jaune thought as he typed in the password. He scrolled over to contacts and typed in his sister's scroll number.

_*Ring ring* *ring ring*_

_C'mon Alice, pick up!_ Jaune thought as he heard the scroll ring.

"_Hello?_" a voice said.

"Saph? Why do you have Alice's scro- Nevermind, it's me Jau- Hello?" Jaune said when the line went dead.

_Did she just hang up on me?_ Jaune thought as he looked at the scroll. He dialed the number again.

"Saph!" Jaune said when she picked up.

"_Okay. Whoever the fuck this is, this isn't funny. Stop this right n-" _

"Saph, it's me! Jaune Arc! Your little brother. I can prove it too! One time when you and Terra were still dating I walked in on you about to use a strap-on o-

"_OKAY! OKAY! FOR THE SAKE OF ISRAFIL, STOP!" _Saphron said. Jaune could hear the embarrassment in her voice.

"So…," he said after a few minutes.

"_Yeah, where the hell have you been!? We got a call from Beacon! Everyone thought you were dead! We're having a damn funeral!"_ Saphron screamed over the scroll.

"Yeah, wait? Everyone thinks I'm dead?" he asked.

"_Yeah. Miss Glynn went back with three hunters to find you and all they found was your scroll and Crocea Mors. After they got back, Glynda went back with a group of soldiers to comb the surrounding areas but… they gave up,_" Saphron said.

"So when's the funeral?" Jaune asked.

"_Why? Planning to show up to your own wake?_" she joked.

Jaune went silent. That sounded like fun. It would let him see what Beacon would be like when they all thought that he died.

"_Jaune?_" he heard over the scroll.

"Huh, yeah. I might go. When is it?" he asked.

"_In a few days, why?_" she asked.

"_Sis, who are you talking to?_" he heard Alice's voice.

"_Alice, you won't believe who it is! Here!"_ Jaune heard the sounds of shuffling before he heard a different voice on the scroll. His heart broke and ached in pain. She sounded so lost and weak. The very feeling of raw pain could be heard in her voice along with the sound of longing.

"_J- Jaune?_" Alice asked, hope welling in her voice.

"Yeah, Ally-cat. It's me," he said.

"_J- Jaune! *sob* Is it really…?" _Alice asked.

"C' mon twinny, I'm too awesome to die. Besides, you would have felt it," Jaune said.

"_*sniffle* Y- yeah... What happened?_" Alice asked.

"I got sucker-punched by an Alpha and knocked on my ass. After that, I tried calling for help but they all left. So I tried fighting my way through. After a few minutes, I saw the Dreadnaught take off," Jaune said. "That's a summarized version. Also, I'm healing up at the moment. Just a few more days. The woman and girl who found me are from a village about several miles south of the gorge. I guess they didn't find me because of either the waterfall or by the time they got there, the woman and the kid took me away to get healed."

"_Oh. Do you want me to tell them? Especially you know her?" _Alice asked.

"No, don't," Jaune said as bitter memories came to the surface.

"_But what about your partner? Jaune, she needs to know that you're alive. She's not doing so well_," Alice said.

"What happened to her? Is she alright?" Jaune asked, worry lacing his voice.

"_She's not eating. She doesn't talk. Everyone tries to help her but she either pins them to a wall or yell at them. On top of that, all she does is stare at your weapon_," Alice said.

Jaune went silent. Ever since he woke up, all he could think about was whether or not Pyrrha was okay. After hearing of what his supposed death had done to her, he began to contemplate whether or not staying dead was actually a good idea. But he needed to. To get better. Only when he was a better fighter would he go back to Beacon and only then. That way, he could stand at her side and at everyone else's side rather than being dragged along or using them all as meatshields. On top of that, Jaune had decided that trying to gain everyone's approval was no longer worth his time. Why did he need it anyway? It's not like they were friends. Not really. If they were, they would have defended him against the student body and Cardin. Jaune guessed that he could count Blake as a friend then. And maybe Ren and Nora. Before he fell, the two had begun to accept him back in exchange for explaining why he did what he did in the first place. Perhaps he would give them a chance. His thoughts were interrupted by Alice.

"_Oh, yeah, by the way, Mom and Dad are letting me go to Beacon. Professor Ozpin says that I'm going to join your team_," Alice said.

Jaune sighed in relief. At least there would be someone to look after Pyrrha.

"Look after her for me," he said.

"_Are you going to show up to your funeral? It's in a few days,_" Alice said.

"Of course I am. Once in a lifetime opportunity," Jaune joked. "Tell Mom and Dad and the others that I'm okay but don't tell anyone else. I'll tell Pyrrha myself when I get there for my funeral."

"_Fine. But, be ready for Mom when you get here. She nearly burned down all of Beacon when she arrived_," Alice said.

Jaune winced at the thought of his angry mother.

"Y- yeah…," Jaune said.

"_Yeah_," Alice parroted.

"_Alice. Your mother wanted me to come and get you,_" Pyrrha's voice could be heard in the background.

"_Listen I have to go. I'm going to give you an alias!" _Alice whispered out the last part.

"_Yeah, just hold on a second! I need to finish talking to Bleu!"_ Alice said.

"_See ya!_" and with that Alice severed the link.

Jaune sighed and went over and grabbed an apple.

"Hey, old lady! I might start training now!" Jaune yelled from the kitchen.

"Are you sure about that?" Maria replied back.

"Yeah," Jaune said, walking out.

"Alright then. Just remember, this will be the beginning of Hell," Maria said, standing from her chair. An air of power began to surround her.

Mae, who had stopped running, stood next to Nyx as the two looked on in confusion at the two. Nyx looked at Mae and let out a confused bark while tilting her head at the same time.

"Yeah, me too girl," she said, scratching the grimm behind the ears. "Me too."

* * *

**Beacon**

* * *

Pyrrha walked down the halls listlessly, shuffling her feet across the laminated floors of Beacon Academy. Behind her, the rest of team JNPR alongside team RWBY looked at her worried. Pyrrha was no longer the Pyrrha they all knew. Her hair had lost that red luster that the boys had swooned over. It was now a dull red color, resembling dried blood. Her green eyes no longer glittered like the purest of emeralds and were instead, pits of despair as the green faded slowly. She became paler as she barely left the room on the weekends. Her eyes were constantly rimmed red from crying and she barely ate or looked after herself only taking care of her personal hygiene and eating enough to function but never to satisfy her hunger.

Nora and Ren looked at their temporary leader in worry. Ever since Jaune had been listed as KIA, she stopped living. It was like a part of her died back in Aurbis that day. Died alongside Jaune.

"Pyrrha?" Nora asked.

"Yes," she said, her voice devoid of any emotions what so ever.

"Um, where are you-"

"I'm going to visit the Arcs," she said.

"O- Oh! Okay, um, Ren, Team RWBY, and I will head over to the library if you want to meet up with us later," Nora said.

"Wait, why can't we go with her?" Weiss asked.

"Are you seriously asking that question?" Ruby said.

"W- What?" Weiss said, looking at her partner.

"Weiss, Jaune's entire family wants to kill us and the entire student population of Beacon. Don't you remember what happened a week ago?" she said.

Everyone's minds flew back to what happened.

* * *

_Pyrrha and the others sat in Ozpin's office as they were called there alongside team CRDL to receive whatever punishment the Headmaster had seen fit to give them. When they arrived back from Aurbis, the entire student body was made privy to the information that Jaune had died. Needless to say, the entire student body did a 180 and started to talk about all the fun times they had with Jaune. It pissed Pyrrha off to no end._

"_I have called you all here because, after further investigation of the gorge and the nearby towns, I am sorry to say that I will have to mark Mr. Arc down as KIA. I have told his family of the situation and they are… coming here to Beacon as we speak. P- Please I beg of all of you with the exception of Ms. Nikos. Don't go near them. It's enough of a hassle to prepare for one funeral as it is. I don't need more," Ozpin said._

"_Now to move onto the punishments. Team CRDL along with Team RWBY, I am… sorry to say that I have to give you all an In School Suspensio-"_

"_WHAT!?" Pyrrha stood up and slammed her palms down on Ozpin's desk. "WHY!? THEY LEFT HIM!" she screamed._

"_Ms. Nikos I understand that you're upset and trust me, I would love nothing more than to expel them but Mr. Winchester's father argued that it would be a waste to let them go, especially for one casualty. I'm sorry to say that I was outvoted on the matter," Ozpin said._

"_Tch, you're the Headmaster! Since when did you take orders from Vale's council!" Pyrrha demanded._

"_Ms. Nikos, that's enough," Glynda said._

"_Bu-"_

"_Enough," Glynda said, her voice tired. "Please…"_

_Pyrrha nodded and sat down, refusing to look at any of the other occupants except for Ozpin and Glynda._

"_Right. Anyway, Teams RWBY and CRDL. You are not allowed to attend any classes for the next three weeks as well as leave campus. If you are to leave, it must be an emergency that has to be verified by either Glynda or me. In addition, Mr. Arc's funeral will be in a week or so. Only Miss Belladonna is allowed to attend from eit-," Ozpin was interrupted once more._

"_Professor, I would like to attend," Ruby said._

"_Um," Ozpin was about to refuse when Glynd spoke on her behalf._

"_Let them attend Ozpin. I want them to know what they've done," Glynda said._

"_Right, so, I guess you and your team can attend Miss Rose. Your father and uncle are coming here to pay their respects as well as your mother, Miss Schnee. Just thought I gave you all a heads-up," Ozpin said._

_Weiss blinked when Ozpin mentioned her mother._

"_Why would Mom come to Arc's funeral?" she asked._

"_On top of the fact that your mother and Jaune's mother were sisters in all but blood, she is his godmother," Glynda said. "I believe that she has every right to attend."_

_Weiss's mouth snapped shut._

"_Right, so you are a-!"_

_BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!_

_The entire school shook as everyone fell to the ground._

"_I think they're here," Glynda said, standing and walking over to the window._

_Ozpin sighed and walked over next to her. Below them, tornadoes of crimson flames ravaged the Beacon Courtyard while a massive beam of blue energy flew to Ozpin's office. Ozpin's eyes glowed green as he tapped his cane on the floor, creating a massive barrier that deflected the beam. The beam landed in the Emerald Forest creating a large explosion._

"_Let's go greet our guests. RWBY, CRDL, JNPR. You are to come with us," Ozpin said, walking past them._

"_W- Wait! Who was that just now?" Yang asked._

"_Why that would be Mr. Arc's parents," Ozpin said, looking back at her._

* * *

_Coco Adel was currently having a shitty day. First, all her clothes were ruined due to a displacement of the school's laundry so she had to wear her uniform the entire day. Second, her favorite writer said that she was going on hiatus due to family problems so she won't be getting her new dose of Ninjas of Love. A book that she found out she shared a love for with Team RWBY's resident faunus._

_And now, here she was fighting with the other students against a living tornado of fire._

"_OZPIN!" the tornado yelled._

_Coco looked to her partner, Velvet Scarlatina, whose ears twitched upon meeting her partner's gaze. Taking a snapshot of Coco's minigun, Velvet unleashed a hail of bullets towards the being. The tornado dispersed and morphed into bullets of pure flame. In the middle were two people. The first was a man with ash brown hair and red eyes. He had a long sword that crackled with blue energy. The second was a woman with blonde hair and violet eyes. In her left hand was a sword that was wreathed in flames._

"_DO NOT INTERFERE!" the woman said as she pointed her sword at them. The fireballs split into smaller ones and were fired in rapid succession at them. Every student was forced to dodge as the torrid spheres scorched whatever they hit._

"_Sieg! Jeanne!" they all turned to see Doctor Oobleck standing at the door. He was standing at the door, his thermos morphed into a torch. Flames were building up at its apex as he leveled his weapon at them._

"_Stand down!" he ordered._

"_Get out of the way, Doctor Oobleck," Sieg said as he pointed his sword, Divine Dragon Downfall, at him._

"_I cannot allow you to destroy the school," he said._

"_We're not. Much. We just want to talk to Ozpin," Jeanne said, flames surrounding her entire form._

"_I'm here then," Ozpin's voice rang out through the courtyard. The students were filled with hope when they saw their esteemed headmaster walk out onto the battlefield._

"_Sieg. Jeanne," he greeted. Behind him, Teams RWBY, NPR, and CRDL had their weapons drawn and looked ready to fight but they were shaking. The killing intent emitted by Sieg and Jeanne had begun to weigh down on the entire area._

"_Ozpin. What happened to our son?" Jeanne said through clenched teeth._

"_I am sorry to say that he's dead, Jeanne," Ozpin said._

"_Jaune's dead…," a voice said from behind them. Sieg and Jeanne blinked and lowered their pressure. They turned and saw their daughter and Jaune's twin sister, Alice, standing there. She had come with her parents to see Jaune and wanted to enroll in Beacon to be with her brother. Her blue eyes glistened as tears began to well up._

"_You're lying," she said, shaking her head._

"_I am sorry, Ms. Arc. Y- your twin has fallen in combat," Ozpin said._

"_NO! YOU'RE LYING I CAN STILL FEEL HIM!" Alice yelled. Her aura flared and a golden shroud of light began to surround her. _

"_Alice," Jeanne put a hand on her daughter's shoulder calming her down._

"_Ozpin, what happened?" Sieg asked, sheathing his sword._

"_I believe it would be better if we talked inside my office," he said._

"_Very well," Jeanne replied._

"_Miss Nikos. Please escort Miss Arc to your dorm room," Ozpin said._

"_Y- yeah sure," Pyrrha said, staring at Jaune's twin._

_She walked over to her and held her hand out._

"_Hey, we met over a call. I'm…" she was interrupted._

"_Pyrrha Nikos. Jaune wouldn't shut up about you," Alice said, trying to smile._

"_Ally!" the two turned to see a small girl wearing a black jacket and skirt. Her hair was ash brown but her eyes were violet just like Jeanne's. Her eyes were filled with so much innocence. An innocence that would be stripped when the news of her brother's death would hit her and reveal that the world was cruel._

"_Where's Jaune?" she asked._

"_Mom and Dad are looking for him. But right now, we need to go to his room. Petra, this is Pyrrha, our brother's partner," Alice said, giving the small girl a light push._

"_H- Hi, my name is Petra Arc. I'm seven years old. Are you Jaune's girlfriend?" she asked, her violet eyes wide in curiosity._

"_Um, n- no. Sadly. I'm Pyrrha Nikos and I'm seventeen," Pyrrha said, squatting down and poking Petra in the nose._

"_Ally. I like her," Petra said. "Can we ask Jaune to marry her?"_

"_Petra. That's not how it works. Jaune has to ask her himself," Alice scolded lightly._

"_Come on. Let's go up to your brother and I's dorm room. I have some stories to tell you about him," Pyrrha said. Her smile was forced and she was trying to be happy around the young girl. Alice sighed. It seemed that her family wasn't the only people that were hit hard by her twin's death._

_Pyrrha guided them to NPR's dorm and the three began to talk about a certain lanky blonde._

* * *

Pyrrha snapped out of the memories as the group found themselves outside the large dorm that Ozpin had provided for the Arcs. She went inside without saying a word to the rest of them and closed the door behind her. Pyrrha saw Saphron sitting on a bed, playing with her son and Alice was sitting on one of the chairs talking to someone. She seemed to have noticed her arrival because she quieted down significantly when she entered.

"Alice?" the blonde jolted and turned to face Pyrrha.

"Y- yeah?" she said.

"Your mother was looking for you. She and Ozpin want to finalize the team roster with you in it. In a few hours, you'll be my new partner in team PRAN," Pyrrha said.

"Right, hey Bleu, I have to go," she said, hanging up.

"So who was that?" Pyrrha asked her.

"Oh, that? That was Bleu. She had a major crush on Jaune before he left for Beacon," Alice said, lying through her teeth.

Pyrrha felt jealousy well up inside her. There was another girl that knew Jaune for much longer and liked him. If he was still alive, would she even have had a chance with the revelation of this new information?

"Hey, so are we going or not?" Alice said, grabbing her sword.

"Y- yeah, let's go," Pyrrha said, leading her out the door. The two navigated Beacon's hallways towards the elevator that led to the Headmaster's office. Upon reaching it, the two entered and Pyrrha pressed the button with a clock symbol and the two began their ascent up the Tower of Beacon.

"So, why do I keep hearing people call Jaune a fake?" Alice asked.

It was the one thing that had been bothering her. The student body here gave her mixed signals. When they thought that she couldn't hear them, Alice overhead them calling her brother a cheat and a fake while others seemed regretful for not at least standing up for him faker or not.

Pyrrha looked down at the elevator floor. Should she tell her? Alice obviously had a very high opinion about her twin brother, considering that the other day, she nearly killed a student over calling her brother a whiny loser.

Steeling herself, Pyrrha began to explain.

"Your brother. He snuck into Beacon with false transcripts. He told me a few weeks after initiation and after he saved the man who blackmailed him after finding out the information. However, the man couldn't handle the fact that he was saved by your brother so he exposed him in front of the entire school. Everyone turned against him," she said.

"Except for you of course and the cat faunus from what I heard," Alice said, glancing at her.

Pyrrha nodded.

"Why?" she asked.

Pyrrha blinked and looked at her.

"Why didn't you?" Alice asked her.

"I don't know. It's probably that I couldn't… I can't find it in myself to do it. Even if he did sneak in and never told me, I could never do it. Sure I'd be hurt that he didn't tell me but in the end, I'd never treat him like how the others did," Pyrrha said.

"You're a good person Pyrrha," Alice said. "Kinda makes me regret helping Jaune get those transcripts."

Pyrrha blinked in both shock and confusion.

"I'm sorry. But what?" she whirled around ot meet Alice's stoic face.

"I helped Jaune get the transcripts, rather I had Saphron get me a transcript and Jaune and I forged it together," Alice said.

"Wh- what? You knew. You all knew?" Pyrrha looked at her in shock.

"I don't know about Mom and Dad but yeah, me, Saph, and Vert all knew," she said.

"So Jaune got those transcripts because…"

"We helped him. I would've gone with but we all agreed that would have been too suspicious to have both of us enroll at the same time. I should have gone, but it was Jaune's idea for me to stay behind," Alice said.

The elevator door dinged and the two walked out.

"Ah, you two are here," Ozpin said. Sieg and Jeanne sat on two chairs in front of his desk.

"Let's get on with this shall we?" he asked.

Jeanne looked and Pyrrha and shot her a warm smile. She could see now why she felt normal around her. The woman was exactly like Jaune, looks and all while his twin was more like their father, Sieg.

"Ms. Nikos, Ms. Arc here shall replace Mr. Arc as a member of your team and partner," Ozpin said. "Please make her feel welcome here at this school, more so than your fellow students did his brother."

Pyrrha stiffened at the mention of Jaune but nodded nonetheless.

"I will," Pyrrha assured them.

"Miss Nikos," Pyrrha turned to Jeanne.

"Yes, Mrs. Arc?" she said.

"We would like to invite you to our hometown of Domremy for the Festival of Israfil. I know that our son invited you but we as a family would formally like to extend an invitation to you," Jeanne said.

"O- Of course Mrs. Arc, I'd be honored to," Pyrrha said, wide-eyed that the woman who was the mother of the boy she loved and whose death she felt partially responsible was being kind to her.

"I believe that will be all Miss Nikos, Miss Arc, you may return to your dorms. I need to discuss some things with Miss Arc's parents," Ozpin said. The two nodded and left the office.

* * *

**Maria's Cabin**

* * *

Jaune fell to the ground, breathing like he had just ran the entirety of the Atlas Marathon without slowing down to catch his breath. His muscles screamed in pain as he felt his entire body burning. On his back was Maria Cavalera who was sipping a cup of tea. When the old lady said that they would begin training, Jauen never thought it would be this intense. It was worse than anything Pyrrha had ever put him through.

"Alright then, that's two sets out of ten. Get up and give me another 100 push-ups kid," she said.

"C'mon old lady, let me catch my breath here," Jaune said.

"Nope, you never get breaks in the field," she said.

Off to the side, Nyx and Mae watched as Jaune was put through a torturous training regimen. A few hours passed and Jaune collapsed on his back.

"Good, your warm-up is done," Maria said. "Now, show me what you can do," she said.

"R- Really? Now?" Jaune said.

"Fine, I'll let you catch your breath. In 15 minutes, we will spar," Maria said.

Jaune grunted gratefully and crawled over to Nyx and Mae and laid down on the ground. The Beowolf got up from her spot and curled up next to her master.

"Hey, Nyxie…," Jaune said, stroking her fur with his hands. Nyx let out a happy growl and wagged her tail furiously.

"Hey Jaune," he looked over and saw Mae looking at him nervously.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Can you pat my head?" she asked. Jaune chuckled and beckoned her over to him. The little girl lit up and walked over. Jaune stretched out his hand and began patting her head, scratching her behind the ears. Mae began to purr and her tail began to swish around happily.

"You're a hit with kids I see," Maria said, sitting on the steps of her cabin.

"I have four younger sisters. What can I say other than the fact that I know what little kids like," Jaune said as he continued to scratch Mae's ears with his left hand while stroking Nyx's fur with his right hand.

"Okay, break time's over," Maria said.

"I don't have a weapon," Jaune said.

"You don't need a weapon. Not yet. These days, you hunters are over-reliant on your weapons to fight and then run around like headless Nevermore when you lose your weapon. So today's spar will focus on you trying to disarm me. You have five minutes," Maria said as the two walked over to the field.

"Okay. I know basic hand to hand thanks to my parent, this should be fairly straight forward," Jaune said, dropping into a basic stance.

"Good. You may begin whenever you feel ready. Your goal is to try and take my cane from me," Maria said, twirling said object in her hand.

Without warning, Jaune rushed towards her to grab the walking stick but Maria simply side-stepped and swung her cane, tripping the boy. Jaune fell on to the snow but quickly rose to his feet and rushed her again, this time, feinting to the left.

She dodged to the right, just how Jaune wanted and went to grab her cane. Then Maria did te unexpected. She tossed her cane into the air and jumped on Jaune's back, causing him to fall face-first into the sand. She landed behind him and caught her cane in her left hand.

"Not so easy now is it?" Mari said, standing behind him with a smirk on her elderly face.

"I'm not done yet," Jaune said, his hand shooting out to grab her cane. Maria hopped backward, avoiding his arm.

Jaune shot towards the lady, sending a flurry of strikes towards her. Maria deftly evaded every attempt to grab her or her cane.

Jaune was becoming increasingly frustrated. She was toying with him and not taking him seriously. Violet aura began to cover his hand and his hand shot forward to grab the cane. Maria moved to the side, dodging his swipe. Her mechanical eyes widened when an aura arm shot from his hand and followed her. She ducked underneath the arm and smacked it with her cane, causing it to disperse.

She looked at Jaune, who was as dumbfounded as she was, with a violet aura surrounding him.

_His semblance perhaps?_ Maria thought as she analyzed him.

Jaune looked down at his hands that were covered with a violet aura.

_Is this my semblance? If it is, what else can I do?_ Jaune thought. He tried to focus on making an arm again. His aura responded to his will as several arms with clawed hands were formed from Jaune's aura shroud.

"I can work with this," he said. Jaune grinned as he shot forward to Maria. He willed one of his arms to intercept her. Maria dodged the arm but quickly had to evade the other arm the tried to grab her cane.

_So, he has the basics of his semblance down_, she thought as she dodged another one. _Let's see how far he can take this_, Maria thought. She clicked a button on her cane and she grabbed the lower portion and a blade shot out of the top. She swung the cane, slashing one of the arms, cutting the hand off.

Jaune narrowed his eyes as he felt his aura decrease after the hand was severed.

_So my aura goes down if one of my aura hands are severed or damaged. And is that a fucking scythe?_ Jaune thought.

Jaune willed his arms to return to him in the event that Maria would sever more of them. As he did, the timer on Maria's scroll went off, signifying that five minutes had passed. Jaune dispersed the arms and his aura shroud disappeared.

"Looks like you discovered your semblance," Maria said, transforming her scythe back into a cane.

"And apparently, your cane is a scythe," Jaune said.

"Yes, I'm quite fond of it. This used to be my weapon before I retired from being a huntress," Maria said. "You're quite good. Nimble even. Your style reminds me of the one used by the Crimson Saint in battle."

"Yeah, I know. She's my mom," Jaune said.

"Hoh? That makes sense. Your name even sounds like hers," Maria said. She looked and saw the sun begin to dip over the horizon.

"Let's call it a day," Maria said.

"Yeah," Jaune said.

"You're cooking tonight," she said.

"What? I believe that it's your turn to cook," Jaune said.

"I'm retired and a senior citizen," Maria argued.

"Doesn't mean you can't cook," Jaune said.

"So, you want my cooking tonight. Okay, I'll make one of my more original meals," the old woman cackled.

Jaune blanched when he heard the words "original meals".

"Okay, okay," he conceded. "I guess cooking tonight, _again_."

"Good good. You can make that Shepherd's pie that we all love," Maria said.

"Crazy old lady," Jaune muttered as the two walked back to the cabin.

* * *

Dinner went off without a hitch as Jaune prepared a shepherd's pie that even a five-star chef would be jealous of. The golden mash potato crust made everyone's mouth water as it let off a pleasant aroma. Green onions decorated the crust making it even look more delectable. Jaune sliced a piece for himself and Nyx. The Beowolf dug into her meal immediately.

Across from the table, Mae used her fork to slice into the pie, sending all the juices flowing out before popping some in her mouth. She hummed happily as a chorus of meat, carrots, and peas reached a flavorful crescendo inside her mouth.

"Kid! You have outdone yourself this time," Maria said, shoving a spoonful into her mouth.

"Hmph! What did you expect? The son of the Crimson Saint and the Dragon Knight knows how to cook!" he said in fake arrogance.

The three engaged in idle small talk with Maria telling Jaune how he could further improve his close combat skills and promising to teach him some of the moves that she learned over the course of her time as a huntress. She also told him to practice his semblance on his own time and discover what else he could do beyond that of forming appendages. She also recommended that he do this in an area far from the cabin as she didn't want to have to hire someone from the village to repair any damages that would be done to the cabin if he practiced anywhere near her house.

"What about my weapon?" Jaune said between mouthfuls.

"Hmm, we will need to address that. Looks like we have to go to Aurbis for your weapon. I know a blacksmith there that owes me a few favors," Maria said.

"Knowing you, everyone probably owes you at least a favor or two," Jaune said.

"Oh you wound me, kid," she said, waving him off.

"What about Mae? We can't just leave her here," Jaune said, eyeing the young fox faunus.

"Of course, we're not leaving her here. She's coming with us," Maria said.

"I am?" Mae asked, hope present within her voice.

"Of course. It'll be like a family road trip. And besides, it's not like the town will notice," Maria said.

"Okay, then. When do we leave?" Jaune asked.

"Tomorrow. We leave tomorrow so pack your bags. We're going on a road trip!" Maria said.

* * *

**Alright, so what do you all think about Jaune showing up to his own funeral. Of course, only two of his sisters know that he is alive. Should he tell Pyrrha at least because Alice and Saphron will tell their parents. To everyone else, Jaune Arc is dead and he's planning to let it stay that way for now. Anyway, let me know what you think about letting Pyrrha know that he's alive because the poor girl looks so lost without him. Especially now that his twin sister is joining the team. Also, for those of you who are curious, Jaune's aura color changed from white to violet and Alice's aura was originally white like his but changed to gold. I know that aura colors don't change in canon but Jaune's and Alice's did. Also, Jaune and Nyx will have a Hiccup and Toothless type of relationship and I do plan on having Jaune discover more on his grimm control powers, specifically being able to alter Nyx's appearance to look like a small black dog that can fit in his hoodie. Anyway, review! Review and then review some more! Also, fav and follow if you enjoyed this fic! Have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!**

**PS: Check out my profile for the posting schedule. **


	6. Arc 1: The Walking Dead

**Okay, so the funeral chapter. I've waited two weeks to write this. Anyway, let's discuss weapons and who won. Here is the winner.**

**Kama/Scythe: 13**

**Aurasaber: 9**

**O Katana: 9**

**Sword and Shield: 9**

**Vibroblade: 8**

**And here is the results with the people who voted through comments.**

**Kama/Scythe: 17**

**Aura Saber: 15**

**O-Katana: 11**

**Sword and Shield: 10**

**Virbroblade: 12**

**Kama/Scythe wins. But don't worry. I have a little surprise for all of you people regarding the weapon. Also, I would like to apologize. Earlier, I said that Arcadia is Greek. A reader pointed out that it is also the name of a French Settlement as well, so I'm sorry for being ignorant of this. As such, I will rectify it! Domremy is located on an island named Arcadia like Patch. **

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does. If I did, Jaune's new hairstyle wouldn't look so... blegh.**

* * *

**Airbus, En Route to Aurbis**

* * *

"I can't believe how many hoops we had to jump through with customs just to get Nyx to Aurbis," Jaune complained as he sat with Mae in his lap. Maria nodded and focused on her paper. The ship suddenly shook due to turbulence and Jaune's hand immediately went to his mouth.

_I should have bought pills!_ He thought as he felt bile enter his mouth. Usually, on trips like these, Pyrrha would be right next to him, rubbing small, soothing circles on his back while his stomach rolled around inside of him like a damn bowling ball.

"Man up, kid. We're almost there. It's only been eight minutes since we left anyway," Maria said, tapping her cane on the floor of the bus.

"It's okay Jaune," Mae said, reaching up and patting his head. Jaune groaned and buried his face in Mae's bushy tail. Mae laughed a little at the sight before turning her gaze back out the window.

"This weaponsmith better is worth me forgetting to buy Motion Sickness pills," Jaune muttered into Mae's tail.

The next eight minutes were torture for Jaune. His stomach was constantly churning bile and stomach acid up his esophagus and into his throat. It took all of his willpower not to puke right there and then, but he managed to keep it in. It was like plugging up a volcano. Deciding that thinking of his stomach was too much of an ordeal, Jaune focused his energy into other places. Mainly his semblance and how he was going to tell Pyrrha without blowing his cover in front of everyone.

_What should I do? Maybe lead her away from everyone else? Nah, too suspicious. Maybe, I'll hang back in the distance and make it look like I had some big secret or something. Or I'll be hella nonchalant about it and just walk on up,_ Jaune thought.

_I wish I could tell someone about this,_ Jaune kept thinking. _Come to think of it. What should I call my semblance? Pyrrha's is called Polarity, Ruby's is Petal Burst, and Nora's is called High Voltage. I feel like Nora was on crack when she came up with that name. Aura Arms? Nah, maybe I can do more than that. Aura Manipulation? Too basic. Thaumiel. Hmmm, badass name. Yeah, I'll call it Thaumiel,_ Jaune thought as he pulled his face out of Mae's fluff. He held his hand up and willed the same dark aura to manifest once more. He really had to stop calling it that. Whatever was on his hand was not Aura, or at least not like any he had ever felt. But then again, he had only ever felt his own and his sister's as well as Pyrrha's.

He felt a bump and noticed that the airbus was now still. Looking out the window, Jaune noticed that they were on the landing pad. Mae jumped out of her seat and began to grab Jaune's arm. Jaune grabbed their bags and allowed himself to be dragged off the vehicle by the fox girl.

Maria sighed and followed after the two. When she got off, she saw Jaune and Mae at the luggage pickup with a massive cage and Jaune signing a few papers. Maria almost laughed when Nyx snarled and snapped at one of the worker's causing them to shriek in fear.

Jaune stuck his hand through the bars of the cage and patted Nyx's snout, causing her to calm down. She leaned into the hand and licked it before sitting down in the cage. It still amazed her whenever she saw that. The beowolf listened to the boy and obeyed, calming down in her cage.

"I'll take it from here," Jaune said to the crew with a reassuring smile on his face.

"W- What did you say you needed this for again?" one of the crew members asked.

"Someone at Beacon asked for beowolf for his class. I'm just staying overnight here at Aurbis and heading to Beacon in the morning," Jaune told them in a smooth and even voice.

The crew nodded and one of them muttered something about weird-ass hunter habits. Jaune looked at Nyx apologetically and began to roll the cage out of the terminal and into town. It was a weird sight for everyone who lived there. People gave them a wide berth as Jaune pushed Nyx's cage down the streets as he was following Mae and Maria.

"Hey, old lady. Where is this blacksmith friend of yours?" Jaune asked her.

"Just up the street kid," Maria said as she made a turn.

They walked for a few more minutes, with Jaune pushing Nyx's cage down the street until Maria stopped outside of a small shop. Jaune and Mae stood behind her and looked at the sign.

The Scorched Hammer

"Is this the shop?" Jaune asked as he let go of the cafe.

"Yup, this is the one. At least, I think this is the one," Maria said as she squinted her eyes. Shrugging, the elderly woman pushed the door open and went inside.

"Wait, what about Nyx?" Jaune asked.

"Just let her out of her cage," she said before the door closed.

Jaune sighed and opened the door. Nyx bound out of the cage and stood next to Jaune. She barked and wagged her tail as Jaune pet her back. Mae ran up to Nyx and climbed on her back and the three walked in.

"Ah, welcome t- GRIMM!" a young boy screamed, pointing at Nyx. Maria and an elderly man with dark skin and a dark beard looked up from the counter.

"You weren't kidding huh?" he said in a gruff voice as he looked at Jaune and Nyx.

"Nope," Maria said. The man sighed and walked from around the counter.

"Jett, go man the register while I talk to our customers," the man said.

"B- But, grimm here! City! Danger!" the boy fired off.

"I'll handle this," the man said tiredly. The boy nodded and made for the counter quickly.

"Soo, you're the blacksmith that owes this crazy old lady a favor?" Jaune asked, tilting his head slightly. The man was tall, taller than him. He had dark skin and grey hair that was balding slightly at the top. His build was strong and muscular, most likely from his years as a blacksmith yet Jaune could see that he was no stranger to combat. He had a short dark beard yet one could see grey hairs start to set in. The man held his hand out and Jaune took it in his own, grasping it firmly.

"I'm Ash. Ash Vulcan, owner of the Scorched Hammer and retired hunter of Mantle," he said in a gruff voice.

"I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc," Jaune introduced. He gestured to Nyx and Mae.

"This is Mae and Nyx," Jaune said. Ash looked over at the Beowolf, who regarded him curiously, and Mae, who was looking at him with a nervous expression.

"A Beowolf and a Yoko-Faunus. Such an interesting company you keep here, Marie," Ash said.

"Hmmm, the kid here can control Grimm," Maria said, walking up next to him.

"Can he now?" Ash said, analyzing Jaune.

"I didn't believe it myself nor did the boy until I saw Nyxie here," Maria said.

"Um, can we get on with what we came here for?" Jaune asked. The two elderly hunters looked at him and sighed.

"Kids these days. No patience," Ash said as he gestured for them to follow him out to the back of his shop. The four followed after him into a large room. A massive forge sat on the far side of the room and was currently extinguished. However, small embers remained, suggesting that he had been working earlier that day. An iron anvil sat several feet to the right. Above it to its right, several tools such as a hammer, a chisel, some tongs, a fuller, and a hardy sat on a rack. On the left side of the forge was a large slack tub that was presently filled with cold water. Several unfinished weapons sat at the side as well as large stocks of dust and gear for mecha-shifting weapons.

"Have you given thought as to what weapon you want to wield?" Ash asked as he grabbed his hammer and inspected it for kinks.

"I was thinking about getting something similar to Maria," Jaune said.

"Her kamas?" Ash asked.

Maria looked at Jaune in slight shock and some pride.

"Yeah, I originally wanted to get a sword and shield to continue off what I already knew bu-," Jaune was interrupted by Ash.

"But you wanted something different. To break away from your past," he said.

"...," Jaune went silent.

Ash sighed. An image of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes that shifted to gold when her semblance was active appeared behind Jaune. "Your mother was the same way when she came for her weapon," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"You know my parents?" Jaune asked him.

"Boy, nearly hunter from the previous generations knows who your parents are. Did you know that I forged your father's sword, Divine Dragon Downfall? I made it compatible with his semblance, Ergogenesis," Ash said.

"No, I didn't. What about Mom's blade, La Pucelle?" Jaune asked.

"Ah, that was my sister, Sage, who made her sword. She made it compatible with your mother's semblance, Sunshine," Ash said, leaning against the wall.

"So are the kamas a good choice or?" Jaune asked.

"Hmmm, you'll need to work on somethings but I think with some time, you can be as great a wielder as Marie here," Ash said.

"Heh, wanna be the next Grimm Reaper huh kid?" Maria said, turning to Jaune.

"No. I'm making my own name old lady," Jaune said.

"Ahem," the two snapped their gazes back to Ash who looked at them with a small smile on his face.

"Right, so, what alloy do you want me to use for the blade?" Ash asked.

"Hmmm," Jaune began to think of different types of steel alloys. He was brought out of his reverie when Maria spoke up.

"Use the same material you used for my weapon's blades," she said.

"Ah, so you want me to use Spring Steel 5160 with Damascus Dust infusions during the process then," Ash said, pulling a notebook from his breast pocket and began to write things down.

"Wait, Spring Steel wha-?" Jaune was confused.

"Spring Steel 5160 is an alloy which consists of steel mixed with less than 1% chromium and silicon. It's hard and can withstand immense stress as well as being highly resistant to corrosion and rust," Ash explained.

"Oh," Jaune said.

"Anything else?" Ash asked him.

"Actually, can you add these features to the scythes and do you also do armor by any chance?" Jaune asked.

"This is a smithy boy. Of course, we make armor," Ash replied.

"Then can you do this," Jaune said, pulling out a sheet of paper from his pocket. Ash took the paper and read it over. His eyes widened when he saw the material Jaune wanted to add to his weapons.

"Siderite? Boy, do you know how valuable that metal is?" Ash asked him.

"My parents have some leftover," Jaune said.

"Of course they do," Ash said, rubbing his temples.

"Alright then. I'll contact you when the weapons and armor are done and you might want to do something about that Grimm. People might react the wrong way," Ash said.

"How long?" Maria asked.

"With these features, a few weeks to a month at most," he replied.

"Cool. You know what that means kid. More time to train with your semblance and to go to your funeral," Maria said. "Let's go!"

Maria turned and walked out of the store. Jaune turned and thanked the man profusely which he waved off and Jaune, Nyx, and Mae walked out of the store. And now came their current problem, Nyx didn't want to go back into the cage. She whined and resisted when Jaune tried to push her in which to the people passing them looked comical and would have laughed if not for the fact that a beowolf was currently in their presence.

"Come on you big furball! You know you can't walk around the streets in a city that has hunters in it," Jaune said as he pushed.

Nyx whined and pushed back against Jaune.

"Geez, I don't like the cage too but it's not like you're small enough to the point where I can just hide you in my hoodie," Jaune said. As he said that, his eyes shifted to violet for a split second before he fell over, face-first onto the pavement.

"Ow…," Jaune said as he rubbed his jaw.

"You okay kid?" Maria asked as she and Mae looked at Jaune with worried eyes.

"Yeah, where's Nyx?" Jaune replied.

A small barking noise came from beside them and Jaune's eyes widened when he saw a chibi version of Nyx. She looked like a small black wolf pup, staring at him expectantly. Her tongue was rolled out of her mouth as she panted and wagged her tail furiously.

"Okay, what just happened?" Jaune asked as he picked up Nyx.

"I think that was all you," Maria said, inspecting the new Grimm puppy.

"She's so cute," Mae said, stroking Nyx's soft black fur.

"What do you mean it was me? I didn't do anything," Jaune said.

"Hmmm, we'll look more into this later. For now, let's just go to the hotel," Maria said. Jaune nodded and stuffed Nyx into his hoodie and took Mae's hand and began walking after the old woman.

* * *

**Beacon, 12:30 PM**

* * *

Alice and Pyrrha sat next to each other as Oobleck droned on and on about the Great War and the Faunus Rights Revolution. Pyrrha's green eyes darted to her new partner who was ready to just pass out. She was so much like Jaune in so many ways yet she was also fundamentally different. For one, it was nice for Pyrrha to have someone to talk to about Jaune. Alice laughed when she heard that her brother was dense which made Pyrrha pout. Alice was also a better fighter than Jaune was when he first got here, most likely due to her staying with her parents longer than her brother. However, Pyrrha could not get out of her head the fact that she helped forged the transcripts. That and the fact that Alice seemed to be talking to someone in private. Secrets. If that was one thing that annoyed her, it was the fact that the twins seemed to have so many secrets.

"Alice," she whispered.

"Hmmm," Alice looked at her tiredly.

"Can I talk to you after class?" Pyrrha asked.

"Sure thing boss," Alice replied as she turned back to the board.

The class ended a few minutes later. Pyrrha grabbed Alice by the arm and took her outside the classroom much to Ren and Nora's surprise and confusion.

"Hey, where are we going?" Alice asked as Pyrrha dragged her through the halls of Beacon.

"Somewhere private," she replied.

Pyrrha and Alice ended up on the balcony of Beacon where she and Jaune had all of their private conversations. Or at least, as private as it could be without Winchester listening in on them.

"Is this about Jaune's transcripts?" Alice asked.

"No," Pyrrha said.

"Then…?"

"You've been acting suspicious lately," Pyrrha said, looking at her accusingly.

"Eh?" Alice responded. Inside her head, she was panicking. She just wanted to talk to her brother who was apparently alive.

"You've been leaving the room at night every night now for the past few days," Pyrrha said.

"Umm, I had to go to the bathroom," Alice said.

"We have a bathroom in our room," Pyrrha said with a blank stare. "What are you hiding?"

"Umm, uhh," Alice said. _Shit shit shit! Sorry Jaune, I might blow your cover on this one,_ Alice said.

"Pyrrha," they both turned and saw Ren and Nora with Blake and the rest of team RWBY.

"Yeah," the redhead responded, irritated at the interruption.

"Ozpin's looking for you. He said he wants to talk to you about the funeral," Ren said.

Pyrrha sighed. Jaune's funeral was tomorrow. The day she would have to say goodbye to him forever. She turned to Alice whose eyes were shining in grief. Pyrrha suddenly felt bad for the girl.

"Look, we'll talk about this later Alice in our team dorm. Right now, I need to go…," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, let's talk later," Alice said.

Pyrrha walked past them, roughly shoving past team RWBY and made her way to the elevator.

"You think that we'll ever get the old Pyrrha back?" Ruby asked.

"No, we won't," Blake said as she walked off.

* * *

Pyrrha waited as the elevator ascended to Ozpin's office. Her mind flew back to Jaune and she began to tear up. What if he was still alive? What could they have been if she was just brave enough to confess her feelings to him? Jaune had already admitted to her after his latest rejection from Weiss shortly before things went south for him that he was giving up. Her heart had jumped for joy when she heard that because now she had a chance. But she did nothing. She stood by and did nothing. And now, he was gone. Any chance she had with him, gone. Just gone. Forever out of her grasp.

The elevator dinged and Pyrrha walked out of it to Ozpin's office where she saw Jaune's parents and Professor Goodwitch there. She also saw someone that stood out. The woman had long white hair with a fringe that nearly covered her icy blue eyes. She wore a long white coat with a blue sweater underneath. The woman wore a white skirt with black leggings and black boots. Pyrrha remembered where she had seen this woman. She looked like how Weiss would look if she was older. The woman smiled at her and waved.

"Pyrrha, so glad you can make it," Jeanne said to her. She gestured to the woman. "This is Willow Schnee. She was my best friend back when we were in Beacon together."

"Schnee? Are you related to Weiss perhaps?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes, I'm her mother," Willow said. "I do hope she's been good. I tried my best to be a good mother to her but Jacques… anyway, I'm here because of Jaune," she said.

"Weiss has been difficult to get along with… she's kinda… and I mean no offense here, a bitch," Pyrrha said, fully expecting Willow to yell at her.

"I see. I'm sorry about that then. I guess I'll have to talk with her again," she said. Willow cursed. It seems that Jacques's hold on her daughter was tighter than she thought. She had already chewed Weiss out for abandoning her teammate. She could still vividly remember their reunion.

_Willow got off the private bullhead that they owned and walked down the ramp. She saw Weiss waiting for her there with several other people. One of them was a blonde girl with violet eyes. She spotted a black-haired girl with yellow eyes and a bow that twitched every now and then. _

_A faunus. Interesting, she thought. Her eyes drifted over to the black and red-haired girl with silver eyes and her eyes grew wide._

_Summer? She thought._

"_Mother," Weiss greeted her with a small smile. Her smile quickly vanished when she saw her mother's cold expression bear down on her._

"_Weiss, why did I receive a call from Ozpin saying that you abandoned one of your classmates out on the field to die?" Willow asked as she marched over and towered over her daughter._

"_I- I…," Weiss stuttered._

"_It seems that I have allowed your father too much say in how to raise you. Weiss, I never taught you any of this," she said._

"_Mother, you don't understand! He cheated his way into here!" Weiss protested._

"_And is that any good reason to abandon him during a mission!" Willow shouted. A small crowd had now gathered around the mother-daughter duo as they argued._

"_Weiss, why did you do it?" she asked._

"_Because he didn't deserve to be here!" Weiss retorted. "He was a lying, cheating coward who keeps trying to steal from our family's hard-earned work and plays ignorance like he thinks that I won't notice that he's only trying to get me for our money!" Weiss yelled._

_Willow sighed as she looked at her daughter. They were getting nowhere. _

"_We'll talk later. Right now, I need to speak with the headmaster," she said as she stormed off._

"How do you know him?" Pyrrha asked, snapping her out of her memories.

"I'm his Godmother dear," Willow answered.

"Wha? Y- You're his godmother! Does Weiss know?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, unfortunately not. After she was born, my visits to Domremy became limited. Such a shame. Weiss and Jaune would have been good friends like Vert and Winter are," Willow said.

The elevator door dinged and two women came walking out of it. The first was a tall woman with white hair that was styled in a bun. Her bangs framed the right side of her face and slightly covered her right eye. She wore a military uniform that Pyrrha recognized belonged to the Atlesian Military.

The woman next to her had long curled light blond hair with long bangs neatly framing her face. She had a slender curvy figure with large breasts. Her eyes were pure blue and had a twinge of sadness in them. She wore a white shirt with a brown overcoat and a grey skirt with black leggings and brown boots.

"Mother, Vert and I have arrived," the white-haired woman said.

"Winter, this is Pyrrha Nikos," Willow said, gesturing to the Spartan.

Winter turned her gaze to Pyrrha and analyzed her from top to bottom. She stopped when she felt the woman next to her jab her with her elbow.

"Winter, be nice," she said sternly. Winter looked away and mumbled an apology too quiet for Pyrrha to hear.

"Come on Vert. This woman could have been your sister in law," Winter said.

"I know," she replied. Vert walked up to Pyrrha and put her hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about my brother," Vert said. "He was never really good with discerning feelings. Mom says he gets it from Dad."

Jeanne giggled at her daughter's words, while Sieg clutched his chest at his daughter's blunt words.

"Aw, come on Dad," Vert said, after seeing her father's reaction.

Ozpin coughed into his hand, getting their attention. "Right, Miss Nikos. We called you here because Jeanne and Sieg wish for you to be the one to deliver Jaune's eulogy," he said. Pyrrha's eyes widened and darted to the two parents of her love interest.

"Y- You want me to…?" Pyrrha asked.

Vert was equally surprised as was Winter. Willow looked between Pyrrha and her two friends and sighed. Of course, they would pull something like this.

"Yes, partly because you were the one from what we heard, brought out the best and the worst in our son in ways, none of us, not even Alice, is capable of doing. If you were dating Jaune, I would have forced him to marry you already," Jeanne said.

"B- But! I've only known him for a couple of months!" Pyrrha protested.

"But to you, it felt like you've known him for years right?" Sieg asked.

Pyrrha looked down at the ground. Due to the amount of time they spent with each other, it did like she had known him for years. The conversations that they had always lead to talking about their personal lives. Pyrrha was able to see a side of Jaune that no one, not even her own teammates or Team RWBY was able to see. She knew Jaune. His insecurities, his hopes, his life. And he knew hers.

"I- I'll do it," Pyrrha said.

"Oh good. Alice was the one who recommended you," Jeanne told her.

"Oh," Pyrrha said as her mind flew to a certain blonde. She could just picture Alice's smug smirk. The same infuriating smirk her twin had whenever he had a plan.

"When is the funeral?" Pyrrha asked.

"In two days. You have two days," Ozpin said.

"Who else will be there?" she asked.

"Well, Mrs. Schnee and her daughter, Winter. The Arcs and some old family friends of theirs as well as the entire staff and student body of Beacon," Ozpin said. "I believe that will be all Miss Nikos," Ozpin said. Pyrrha nodded and headed for the elevator.

"If only Jaune made a move," Vert said, sighing wistfully. "What a story that would have been," she said.

"You pervert. You just want to write about your brother and his partner having hot steamy sex," Winter said. Vert shrugged.

"People like my books and that includes most of the female student population here at Beacon," she said, pulling out an all too familiar book.

* * *

Pyrrha hurried to combat class, the last class of the day, thinking about what just transpired. As she entered the class, she noticed that all eyes were on her as well as Goodwitch's, who sent her the "Why the hell are you late?" look. Pyrrha walked over to her and handed her the pass that Ozpin had written up and Glynda's eyes widened.

"Have a seat Miss Nikos," Glynda said. Pyrrha walked up to the stands and sat down next to Alice, who smiled at her. Pyrrha nodded and sent her one in return.

Combat Class was honestly pretty boring. It was mostly fought between people who wanted to stroke their egos. Blake and Ren seemed to be the most entertaining fight of the day for now.

Glynda tapped the shuffle button and the next to fighters came up on the screen.

_Alice Arc vs Flynn Smith_

Alice looked nervous. This was her first fight outside of her parents. Gulping, she made her way to the locker to get changed into her equipment. Pyrrha looked worried. What if she got hurt? Next to her, Ren and Nora were thinking the same thing. Other than Cardin, Flynn was one of the biggest bullies in the school and one of Jaune's biggest haters. Not to mention the fact that Flynn was an even bigger racist than Cardin. If it wasn't for his brown hair, they would have mistaken him for a Schnee.

"How long do you think she'll last?" Weiss asked.

"I have no idea. I've never seen her fight before," Ruby said.

Alice walked out of the locker room with her armor on. Her armor was white and she wore a white battle skirt and blue leggings with golden armored boots. Underneath her armor was her signature blue hoodie, as opposed to Jaune's black one. At her hip was her sword sitting silently in its sheath. Alice breathed in and exhaled to calm herself.

Her opponent Flynn was a tall bulky man like Cardin. He had fair skin and blue eyes as well as shaggy brown hair. For his combat gear, he chose to wear a flame-resistant leather jacket along with spike boots and durable polycarbonate fiber pants. At his side were his weapon, a bow that split into two blades. He was confident that he would win. He might not even have to use his semblance. If this bitch was that Arc guy's sister, then this would be an easy win.

"Begin," Glynda said.

Alice tensed up and looked at her opponent. _He's underestimating me. That's good_, Alice said as she began to pump aura to her legs.

"You know you might as well give up now," Flynn said. Alice's eyes narrowed.

"Your brother was weak as are you. You're not even worth fighting," Flynn said. "That's why he died."

"Is that so?" Alice said as her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes. The air grew heavy as a golden aura began to manifest around Alice.

"Yeah, so just give up and leave the school like your loser brother. You'd be doing the world a fav-" Flynn's eyes widened when he felt something warm run down his cheek. He turned and saw Alice behind him with her sword drawn.

* * *

Up in the stands, Team RWBY and Team PARN watched with wide eyes.

"Did you see her?" Ruby asked.

"No, I didn't," Yang said. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes. She saw that, albeit barely.

"Her aura control," Ren said.

Everyone turned to look at him. Ren sighed and began to explain. "She's using her aura to enhance her speed," he explained.

* * *

Alice swung her sword, forcing Flynn to block it. She brought her foot up and kicked Flynn into the air. The boy cried out in pain before seeing that she had created some distance between them. Grinning maliciously, Flynn unleashed a hail of arrow towards Alice.

Expecting to see her struggle to block them all, his eyes widened along with everyone else's when they saw her aura react violently.

Massive golden wings wrapped around Alice, shielding her from the arrows. Alice moved her wings and charged at Flynn. This time, Flynn dodged her attack and split his bow into their blade form. He brought them down on Alice's back but her aura morphed into arms and grabbed his arm.

Alice willed for the arms to slam Flynn into the ground over and over again before throwing him.

Flynn landed near the edge of the arena and looked up at the girl in pain.

Pyrrha and the others looked on in shock. Checking the screen, Pyrrha saw that Alice's aura was still at 89% while Flynn was at 45%.

Alice reigned her aura in and looked down at Flynn. She tightened her grip on her sword and charged at Flynn. Flynn in a desperate attempt to stop her fired an arrow which she deflected. She got right in front of him and slammed the butt of her sword into his stomach and then delivered a punch to his face.

Afterward, she swept his foot out from under him. Flynn groaned but quickly rolled out of the way to avoid Alice's sword as she embedded it into the arena. He charged at her with his bow blades ready to slice into her armor when she let go of her blade. Flipping backward, Alice went on the defensive as she began to dodge her opponent.

_This guy is slower than Mom and Dad_, she thought as she dodged another one. Using her hand to knock one of his blades off course, Alice delivered a palm strike to his chest, sending him skidding back. She ran up to him and delivered a series of quick strikes to different areas of his body. She stopped and hopped back as Flynn fell to the ground unable to move.

Glynda looked down and realized that the man's body had gone limp yet he was still awake.

"Winner is Alice Arc. Team FRDY, please take your leader to the infirmary," she said. Glynda's eyes traveled to Alice after team FRDY had taken their leader away.

_Pressure points_, she thought. "I see that you use your father's fighting style," Glynda commented.

Alice blushed and rubbed the back of her head.

"Yet, you could use some work. You need to train in using your semblance as right now, it's costing you too much aura," Glynda said, showing her the screen.

"I used 15% of my Aura using my semblance," Alice said as she looked at the screen.

"Your footing with your sword was also off," Glynda said. Alice nodded and made a note to ask her father or partner to help her with that. "Other than that, you did fairly well, though Mr. Smith was just on the lower end of the students here. You may return to your seat."

Alice nodded and went to sit down. After she took her seat, she noticed the others staring at her.

"What?" Alice asked.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Yang asked.

"My parents taught me and Jaune how to fight after we begged for years," she replied.

"Only difference is, Jaune left for Beacon and I had to stay behind so I got more training," she said.

"Well, did you know tha-"

"Weiss, shut up," Ruby said. Alice looked at her for a moment before focusing her attention back on the class.

* * *

**Aurbis**

* * *

Jaune sat in one of the hotel rooms looking down at Nyx. She was still a puppy and he didn't know how to change her back. He had accepted the fact that he was the reason she shrunk but now, Jaune kinda missed her other form.

"Okay, how do I change you back?" Jaune said, staring at the pup.

Nyx barked.

"Hmm, not going to work. I don't have a degree in any science-related fields to build a growth ray," Jaune said. Nyx tilted her head and barked again.

"Magic? I don't know magic and if I did, you wouldn't be small," he replied.

Nyx barked again and nudged Jaune's lunch.

"You're hungry? But you just ate," he said, exasperated.

Nyx barked and whined.

"Fine," Jaune said, tearing off a piece of ham and tossing it at Nyx. She jumped and caught it, devouring the ham.

"It's only been two days and I'm here talking to a Beowolf who inexplicably became a puppy," Jaune said. He fell on his back and looked up at the ceiling. Forcing his aura to his hand, Jaune began to play around with his semblance. He had decided to name it like the others did and called it Thaumiel. He had made some progress with it and managed to separate his aura from his body. After playing around, Jaune had made nine black orbs of pure aura and spun them around. Jaune flicked his wrist and the orbs morphed into blades before turning into cubes, then pyramids, and back to spheres. The door opened, startling Jaune and causing his aura balls to disperse.

"We got tickets kid. Tickets to Vale and it leaves in one hour," Maria said.

"How did you?" Jaune asked as she waved them around.

"I told you. People owe me favors," Maria said. "Now let's go. Your sister said that your funeral starts in four hours and Beacon is two hours flight from here," Maria said.

Jaune and Nyx gave each other a look before she hopped into Jaune's arms and he hid her in his hoodie. Making sure that he left nothing behind, Jaune followed after Maria and Mae.

Jaune flipped his hood on and took out a bottle of pills from his carry on. Motion sickness pills. He had bought some before the flight.

"I like your dog," Jaune looked up and saw a little boy sitting across from them on the airbus.

"Thanks," Jaune said.

"What's her name?" the boy asked.

"Nyx," Jaune said as Nyx stuck her head outside of Jaune's hoodie.

Thankfully, the boy's mother grabbed him before he could talk anymore and Jaune leaned back against his chair. He yawned and felt the side effects of the motion sickness pills come into effect. As the airbus took off, Jaune faded into sleep.

_Jaune opened his eyes to the loud clamoring of weapons and people. His eyes snapped open when he saw them. An entire army of people wielding various weapons. Their clothing was strange, ancient even. At the head of the army stood a woman. She threw a fireball at him and as she did the rest of them attacked him as well._

_Acting purely on instinct, Jaune raised his hand to defend himself, forcing all the attacks to gather into his hand. It was at this moment that Jaune did not feel like himself._

_Think like himself._

_He felt anger. Betrayal._

_How dare they!? After everything, he had done for them! This is how they repay him!_

_As he was about to retaliate, his dream was shattered._

"Jaune! We're here," Mae said as she shook him awake.

Jaune groaned as he opened his eyes. He saw Mae's golden ones looking into his own. Nodding, Jaune pulled her off him and got up.

"Let's go, kid," Maria said. They got off the bus after grabbing their carry-ons and walked out. Jaune immediately grabbed a cloak that he had bought from Aurbis and wrapped it around himself, making sure to hide his face in the shadow of the hood.

"You look suspicious, kid," Maria commented.

"At least no one will see," he said.

She shrugged and motioned for Jaune to lead the way.

"Alice said that it would be in the Auditorium so we just need to go there and stand as far away as possible and then follow them to the 'burial'," Jaune said.

"Burial?" Maria questioned.

"They're burning a picture of me at the cliffs and letting the ashes scatter," he said.

"Ah," Maria said. The four walked into the auditorium and the first thing Jaune saw was people. Lots and lots of people.

"Huh, I didn't expect this many people to show up," Jaune said as he listened to Ozpin's speech.

"Why? Did these people hate you or something?" Maria asked him.

"Kinda. I sorta snuck in here with forged transcripts," Jaune answered.

"At least you tried to do something to help others. When I look at these students, all I see is a bunch of kids trying to live a fantasy," Maria said. "You know back then, a license wasn't really all that needed to hunt. All you needed was a weapon, aura, and your semblance and then went out there and killed Grimm," she said.

Jaune nodded and looked out over the crowd. He spotted Team RWBY, his sister, and Team JNPR up at the front.

"Now for the eulogy. Miss Nikos here will be delivering Mister Arc's eulogy," Ozpin said. Pyrrha nodded and made her way up to the podium with a piece of paper in hand. She stood there and nervously looked out over the crowd. In the front, Jaune's family and Weiss's mother and sister all smiled at her.

"Ahem. We have lost someone. We lost a great friend. A great student. And a great aspiring hunter. And to me, I lost someone I hold dear. Jaune was a great person in his lifetime. He loved to help others. Never looked down on others for being different," Pyrrha said.

In the crowd, the Faunus students chorused in agreement with her words, no louder than Velvet herself.

"Let's be honest here. Jaune was someone none of us deserved to know. He did nothing to us and all he wanted to do was help. But apparently, this school lacks heroes and only fosters villains," she said, causing the students to become angered at her words.

"Don't be angry. You know I'm right. You all came here for the fantasy life of being a hunter. A hunter. A hunter should help people like Jaune wanted to. Not live a life where being a hunter means being above everyone else. Jaune was an example to us, to his… I guess you could call them friends, and to me. I never got to tell him how I feel so I'll say this now in hopes that it will reach him wherever he is," Pyrrha said.

"He's probably in hell!" Dove shouted only to be grabbed by one of Alice's aura arms and have his head brutally slammed into the floor, knocking him out and giving him a concussion.

Pyrrha ignored it and continued.

"Jaune Miles arc. Wherever you are, I hope you're listening to me. I love you," she confessed.

In the back, Jaune's eyes grew comically wide. Pyrrha loved him? All this time, she loved him. His heart skipped a beat as he kept staring at her. Ever since he gave up on Weiss, he had been developing feelings for her and they only grew stronger after she stood by him and now… he had confirmation.

"I love you, Jaune," Pyrrha said as tears began to flow from her eyes freely. Alice looked at her partner with conflicted emotions. She should have told her. A prodding in her mind caused her to look at the back of the room. Her eyes widened when she saw him, sending her one of their signs. She signed back discreetly and he nodded.

"Now, a spring without you in it is coming," Pyrrha said as she walked off the stage. Everyone was silent as Pyrrha sobbed quietly in her chair. Alice rubbed her back and sent her twin a look that said: "Tell her or else."

The funeral proceeded with several more people giving their own piece on Jaune. Jaune smiled when he heard his mother talk about his first training session with her. The biggest shock for the entire school that drove the final nail of guilt into the coffin of their despair was Alice's revelation. She revealed to the whole school that she and her older sisters helped Jaune get into Beacon and she would have come too but it would have been suspicious.

Nora and Ren's faces twisted in grief and Weiss's calm facade shattered. Yang looked down, unable to look up, while Blake looked on in shock. Ruby glanced at Pyrrha, who had stopped crying and she looked at Alice. The girl went on to berate the entire school for getting pissed over something so small when they were willing to accept horrible people into their ranks. After Alice's rant, the entire school gathered at the cliffs as the burning of Jaune's picture began. A sort of way to scatter his ashes since they had no ashes to scatter.

Pyrrha watched silently as Jaune's picture slowly crinkled and burned. In the distance, Jaune, Maria, and Mae watched the event silently. After some final words and blessings, courtesy of Ozpin, the student body and staff dispersed. Team RWBY went to go deal with their guilt and grief in their dorm. Ren and Nora walked up to Pyrrha and Alice.

"Pyrrha," Ren said.

"I need to be alone," she answered. Alice looked at her and nodded as she dragged Ren and Nora away.

Jeanne and Sieg walked up to the Spartan. Pyrrha looked at them with grief-stricken dead eyes and the two looked at her sadly.

"I know that he's watching over you," Jeanne said.

Pyrrha nodded. Sieg pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Pyrrha. "Here," he said, holding out the object. Pyrrha grabbed it and saw that it was the Arc Family Symbol.

"As far as we're concerned, you've earned a place in our family," Sieg said.

"Thank you," Pyrrha told them.

"We'll see you back at the academy," Jeanne said as she and her husband walked off.

Pyrrha stood there, staring out over the cliff for what seemed like hours. Jaune, who just stood there, finally gathered the courage to talk to her and pulled Nyx from his hoodie and handed it to Mae.

"Gonna talk to her?" Maria asked.

"Yeah," Jaune said as he walked. Thinking about what he wanted to say, Jaune decided to not say anything at all. As he got closer, only one thought went through his mind.

_Now or never_, he thought. As he stood behind her, Jaune grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around.

Pyrrha's eyes widened when she felt herself being grabbed and turned to face in the opposite direction. Anger clouded her mind when the person doing it planted their lips on hers. She slammed her fist into their gut, causing them to stumble back a little.

"I deserved that…," the stranger groaned. "Man, couldn't you have at least pulled your punch," he said. Pyrrha approached him. She recognized that voice.

The man stood straight and took his hood off.

Pyrrha's eyes widened when she saw him.

"Hey, Pyr. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you," Jaune said. Pyrrha shook as she looked at him. He was here before her. And he was alive.

_No, this is a dream. A horrible messed up dream_, Pyrrha thought.

"Pyr?" Jaune said, worried.

"Stop…," she sobbed out. "Please stop. I know he's dead. Please stop showing me him," Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha, I'm alive. See, ah fuck it," Jaune said as he placed his lips on hers again.

Pyrrha's eyes grew wide once more when she felt Jaune's lips on her own. Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest as she felt elation on a level she never knew was possible. This was real. She was sure now. Jaune was alive. And he felt the same. Pyrrha leaned into the kiss.

They were together again.

* * *

**Well, that's that. Yes, the kamas won but... who can figure out why I suddenly introduced Siderite into the play. If you can, I'll PM you about what I plan with it! For those of you who were wondering why I made Willow Jaune's godmother and why he doesn't know she's a Schnee, it's because she stopped visiting after Weiss was born and she needed to protect her from her husband. And yes, Winter knows Jaune's sister, Vert. And Pyrrha's speech is based on Kaori's letter from *starts crying* Y- Your Lie in April. ;_;. I just rewatched the entire thing and am currently questioning why I'm torturing myself. Anyway, Jaune's semblance is called Thaumiel. By the way, a heads up, there will be a timeskip after the next chapter so be prepared for that. Because for one I don't feel like rewriting every episode of RWBY leading up to Vol 3. And two, I'm pretty sure that we should focus more on Jaune's journey soooo... yeah. Anyway, review, review review! Also, follow/fav if you enjoyed. And remember, have a great day/night or not the choice is yours.**


	7. Arc 1: Reunions and Lamentations

**Haha, sorry for the late post guys and gals! I have been busy with Black Friday and Thanksgiving. Yeah, I had to make the ham while my parents did the turkey sooo that was fun. I also waited in the cold for a new phone only to have some schmuck take it from me. Tis a cruel world. Anyway, this chapter has some fluffy Arkos moments and is technically the end of the Funeral Arc. So without further adieu, let us begin!**

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

* * *

Jaune, in his disguise, and Pyrrha walked through the halls of Beacon, avoiding the other students as they made their way to their old room. Maria had told Jaune to go spend as much time as he could with her as it would be a while before the two saw each other in person again. Well, a while as in several weeks since the festival was postponed due to his "death". Another thing was that Jaune still had yet to confront his parents and that itself was very… detrimental to his physical health. After a few minutes of walking and just generally enjoying each other's company, they arrived at the dorm room of Team PARN and walked inside. Pyrrha closed the door and locked it. Jaune looked around. He had missed this room. His bed. He spotted Crocea Mors leaning next to Milo and Akouo.

"Jaune," Pyrrha walked up to him and followed his gaze.

"Do you want Crocea Mors back?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I had a weapon commissioned for me," Jaune said.

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha said.

"Yeah. That weapon isn't mine. It was never mine. It was my great grandfather's and it was meant for someone strong," Jaune said.

"Jaune…," Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder.

"...So, how have you been?" Jaune asked as he sat down on his former bed.

Pyrrha crossed her arms and gave him a blank stare.

"Oh, right," Jaune looked away from her intense gaze. Seeing the guilty look he had on his face, her eyes softened as she sat down next to him and leaned her head on his broad shoulder. The warmth she felt radiating off Jaune comforted her like a warm blanket and hot cocoa on a winter evening.

Jaune smiled when he felt her weight press on his shoulder. He took in her intoxicating scent and made sure to sear its memory into his brain.

_Pomegranate_, Jaune thought as he took a few locks of her hair and sniffed it.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said as the two sat there.

"Mmmm," she responded. Her eyes remained closed as she leaned on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for not coming back sooner. It's just that I wa-"

"Recovering? It's alright Jaune. What matters is that you came back," Pyrrha said, lifting her head off his shoulder. She cupped his left cheek with her right hand and stared into his azure blue eyes.

"I'm just happy you came back," Pyrrha said.

Jaune smiled and leaned into her touch.

"Pyr, back there when you said that you loved me, did you mean it?" Jaune asked.

"Of course I did. And I'll say it again. I love you Jaune Arc. My heart and body belong to you and only you," Pyrrha said.

"You broke our rule of no chick flick moments," Jaune chuckled. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow…," Jaune said, rubbing the spot where she smacked him. He looked at Pyrrha who was looking away from him with a small pout on his face. Jaune gained a sly smile on his face before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close. Pyrrha's face turned red at his actions as Jaune snuggled into her.

"J- Jaune?" Pyrrha stuttered. "W- What are you doing?"

"Snuggling with my girlfriend," Jaune said.

"Y- You s- still never told me h- how you f- felt!" Pyrrha said.

"Really? I thought kissing you was plenty but if you insist," Jaune said as he pulled away.

"Pyrrha Nikos, I think you're the most amazing and beautiful woman in the world. Will you be my girlfriend?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha smiled and pecked him on the cheek before returning to their original position with Pyrrha cuddling into Jaune and Jaune having his arm wrapped around her slender waist.

"Hey, Pyr, guess what," Jaune said.

"What?" Pyrrha asked.

"I unlocked my semblance," he said.

"Really? That's wonderful! Can you show me?"

Jaune lifted his free arm and a violet aura enveloped his hand. Several spheres of violet and black energy manifested and began to swirl and condense into black balls with a soft violet glow. He willed the balls to morph into several shapes before merging them and forming an emblem that appeared as the combined version of both of their emblems. The spear on Pyrrha's emblem overlapped with the dual crescents of the Arc logo.

"When did you find out about it?" she asked as she watched Jaune play with the shimmering black orbs. They looked so fluid-like yet they were solid at the same time.

"About a week or two after I woke up and fully healed due to my aura. I also found out that I can control and understand Grimm," Jaune said.

"Control Grimm?" Pyrrha sat up and looked at him with a confused look in her eyes.

"Yeah, the person who found me, Maria Calavera. She said that there was a Beowolf that was protecting me," Jaune said.

"Jaune, that's not possible. Grimm are soulless creatures. There's no way it protected you other than the fact that it was just protecting its meal," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, I thought so too until I saw her," Jaune said.

"Her?" Pyrrha asked.

"The Beowolf. I named her Nyx," he said.

"Jaune, Beowolves aren't dogs," Pyrrha said.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to introduce you two to each other," Jaune said with a cheeky grin on his face. Pyrrha looked at him apprehensively and yelped when he picked her up bridal style and went towards the door.

"Jaune, wait we have to go see your parents first and tell them that you're alive!" Pyrrha protested.

Jaune stopped in his tracks and Pyrrha noticed that his face was now deathly pale. His eyes had widened to immense proportions and she noticed that his blue eyes were filled with an emotion that she had never seen in him before. Sure she had seen him afraid but this, there were no words that could describe the expression that she saw on his face but she could try to find one that was close.

Terror. Pure unadulterated terror.

"Jaune…?" Pyrrha asked nervously as she looked at his face.

"We need to speak to mother immediately. If I am to continue my meaningful existence with you, my beloved, we need to speak with mother," Jaune said blankly.

"Jaune, you're scaring me a little," Pyrrha said as she got off.

"LET'S GO!" Jaune said as he slipped his hood on and ran out the door, still gripping Pyrrha's hand. The two ran quickly through the empty halls of Beacon as Pyrrha pulled her scroll out and began to dial Alice.

"_Hello?"_

"Um…, where are your parents?" Pyrrha asked as she ran in pace with her new boyfriend.

"_They said that they were going to go with Mrs. Schnee back to the room that Ozpin provided for them on the third floor of the Academy. Why do you need to see them?"_

"Not so much me but the twin brother who you have that's still alive and is currently fearing for said life," Pyrrha said over the phone.

"_I'll meet you there in their room. Let me just tell Nora and Ren,"_ Alice said. A few seconds of silence with the occasional whine and protest from Nora as Jaune and Pyrrha continued their sprint down Beacon's halls.

"_Yeah, third floor. I'll meet you there_," Alice said as she hung up.

"Jaune, she said that your family is on the third floor with Mrs. Schnee," Pyrrha told him. Jaune nodded as the two arrived at the elevator. Jaune began to mash the buttons until the doors opened revealing Team CRDL, who had just finished serving detention.

"Cardin move," Pyrrha said.

"Make us Nik-," Cardin didn't even have time to react as Jaune grabbed him and threw him into a wall. The other members of team CRDL were shell shocked at the turn of events before Jaune shoved them all out of the way and pulled Pyrrha into the elevator with him.

"Third floor right?" Jaune said as he mashed the third-floor button.

"Yes Jaune, now calm down," Pyrrha said as she placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, there's nothing wrong with walking to my impending doom right? If I do die this time, at least I can say that I kissed a cute girl right?" Jaune said.

Pyrrha blushed and smiled at him.

"I have to thank Alice for looking after you when I see her," Jaune said.

"What? What do y- she knew didn't she?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, we're twins. We share nearly the same aura signature so we can sense each other even across vast distances and know when the other is dead," Jaune said.

"Oh…," Pyrrha looked down. She didn't know that aspect of aura and twins.

"I also called her and told her that I would be the one to tell you myself," Jaune said.

"Hmmm, so you made me wait on purpose?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, but, look on the bright side Pyr, I'm alive," Jaune said sheepishly.

"I thought you were dead you dick," Pyrrha said. The elevator door chimed and they arrived on the third floor of Beacon. Jaune took each step with trepidation as he and Pyrrha neared the room that his parents and his family were supposed to be in. He felt horrible for making them worry. Especially his mother and father. They were two of the nicest people that Jaune had ever met and he loved them dearly for it.

Taking in a deep breath, Jaune knocked on the door. Pyrrha stood next to him holding his hand for support. The door opened and the sound of an object clattering could be heard as Jeanne dropped her scroll.

"Hey Mom," Jaune said.

Jeanne shakily reached out to touch him. She tentatively placed her hand on his cheek. As soon as she felt the warm skin of her son, tears began to stream down her face.

"Jaune?" she asked.

"Hey Mom, I'm home," he said, closing his eyes and savoring her comforting touch. Jeanne began to sob as she pulled her son and embraced him. Jaune returned the hug and gently rubbed his mother's back. He saw his father who had now spotted him walk over and join in on the hug. Jaune was now sandwiched between both his parents as his mother stroked his hair while his father smiled.

Pyrrha stood behind them as the two parents hugged the life out of the child that they thought was dead and was told that was dead. Jaune just stood there, taking in the love of his parents. After a few minutes, they pulled apart and Jeanne pulled on Jaune's ear, causing him to wince in pain.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN YOUNG MAN!?" Jeanne yelled.

"I WAS RECOVERING! I FELL OFF A CLIFF!" Jaune said.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere are you?" Jeanne said as she looked him up and down.

"Mom, I'm fine. My aura healed everything," Jaune said.

"What matters is that you're back," Sieg said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Jaune!" Jaune turned and saw his younger sister Petra running up to him. He knelt and picked her up, twirling her in the air.

"Hey, Pet! You've been good right?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, I'm a good girl!" she said, sending Jaune a grin. He noticed that she had a missing tooth and gasped.

"Pet, you lost your tooth! Does that mean that?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, the tooth fairy will come to visit me and give my tooth to Israfil!" Petra said.

"That's wonderful! I bet you'll get a ton of lien for it," Jaune said.

"Jaune," he saw Saphron standing behind him. He gently lowered Petra and allowed his older sister to hug him. He felt his jacket start to get wet as Saphron's tears flowed down her face.

He saw his other sister, Vert, run up to the two and tackle both of them to the floor. Jaune was now pinned underneath his two crying older sisters. With what little movement he could use, Jaune moved both his arms and wrapped them around his sisters.

"I'm okay but I won't be if I don't get… air!" Jaune squeezed out.

"WHERE WERE YOU!?" Vert sobbed as she latched back onto Jaune after he stood up. Jaune comforted his crying older sister as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I was recovering," he said.

"How about you sit down and tell us what happened from the very beginning?" Jaune turned and saw an extremely beautiful woman with snow-white hair. Her fringe covered a portion of her right eye which was icy blue and stared down at him. She looked very much like Weiss except she had a kinder, more motherly air around her.

"Um, hi," Jaune said.

"Hello, I am Willow. Willow Schnee," she said.

"Um, Jaune, Jaune Arc," he said, introducing himself.

"I know who you are," Willow said.

"Um, I bet it was through Weiss wasn't it? I'm sorry for bothering your daughter but I have moved on and found someone else. Someone better… no offense of course!" Jaune said.

Willow merely smiled and threw her head back in laughter.

"Oh… you're funny," Willow said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm glad you found someone else. Weiss could never see the diamond hidden among the gold anyway."

"Who are you to my parents anyway?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, Jaune, I see you don't remember her. Willow is your godmother," Sieg explained.

"Yes, like my daughters I ran from my name as a Schnee and… well kinda did what you did. I snuck into Beacon," Willow said as she pulled out her scroll. She opened a photo of a younger version of his mother standing to what looked like Weiss.

"Oh," Jaune said as Pyrrha squinted to get a closer look. This woman may have looked like Weiss but she was nothing like her. She… smiled. Pyrrha never thought she would ever see a Schnee genuinely smile before.

"Right so tell us what happened," Jeanne said. Jaune nodded and sat down. He began to relay everything that happened in the past few months. He started at initiation, explained the situation he was in with Cardin and the transcripts, and the bullying he endured after his transcripts were revealed. Jaune visibly gulped as he went over this part.

The cup his mother was holding had just spontaneously combusted right before his eyes.

When he got to the part where he and the rest of his team were fighting Beowolves and the incident with the Garm and Yeti as well as the part where he was left behind. He saw his parents shaking in visible rage when he went over this. Jaune then talked about how he was found by a kid and an old lady and how they nursed him. When he began to explain how he found out he could control the Grimm, he was stopped.

"Wait, did you just say that you could control the Grimm?" Saphron asked.

"Ummm, yeah," Jaune said.

"Is it part of your semblance?" his mother asked.

"No, as far as I know, my semblance involves controlling my aura to the point where I can do stuff like this," Jaune said as he created an aura blade.

"Just like your sister," Sieg said.

"Huh?" Jaune looked at his father intrigued.

At that moment, a knock was heard on the door and Jaune flipped on his hood to prevent his identity from being revealed. He still wanted to wait things out before revealing the fact that he was still alive to everyone else. Pyrrha went to open the door to reveal Alice standing behind it. Pyrrha sighed in relief and let her in. Alice spotted Jaune and walked over and slapped him.

"What th-" he stopped when Alice embraced him tightly.

"You dummy! Don't ever die ever again!" Alice screamed into his sweater.

"Ally-cat," Jaune said as he softly stroked her hair.

"I'm so happy you're alive big brother!" Alice said.

Jaune smiled and leaned down to kiss her hair. The others smiled at the sight of the two reunited siblings.

"So what happened to you Jaune?" Alice asked. Pyrrha walked over and filled her in on the past few minutes. Alice gave her twin brother a look before speaking.

"Is that the reason why I saw an old lady and a fox faunus following me?" Alice asked.

"Following you?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, they're right outside the door waiting," Alice said. Jaune immediately walked over and opened the door to reveal Maria, Mae, and Nyx waiting for him. Nyx barked and jumped out of Mae's hands and into Jaune's arms.

"Hey, did you miss me, girl?" Jaune asked as he held Nyx up. Nyx barked happily and began to lick his face.

"Is that the Grimm?" Vert asked.

"Oh right, Nyx, this is my mother, Jeanne," Jaune said, holding the Beowolf cub out for her to hold. Nyx tilted her head as her blood-red eyes stared at the Arc Sister. She smiled a doggy smile, causing Vert's heart to melt due to the sheer cuteness. Nyx found herself being swiped out of Jaune's arms and crushed into Vert's rather large chest.

"Awww, she's so cute!" Vert said as she hugged the grimm. Jaune walked over and grabbed Nyx from her, allowing the grimm to breathe. Pyrrha and Alice walked over and tentatively placed a hand on the cub's fur. The Grimm let out a happy whine as she leaned into both their touches.

"Don't spoil her," Jaune said.

"Are you going to introduce us to your other friends Jaune?" his father asked.

"Oh right, Mom, Dad, everyone, this is Maria Calavera otherwise known as the-"

"Grimm Reaper," Willow said.

"No way," Sieg said.

"I see my reputation precedes me," Maria said.

"You have no idea the generation of wannabees and hunters you inspired," Jeanne said as she remembered a certain alcoholic bird-themed hunter.

"Really? I see. Well, I can tell you this. I never thought that the son of the Dragon Knight and the Crimson Saint would show up on my doorstep battered," Maria said. "But, he's been good company and I'm glad to have met him. Even took him on as a student."

"What? You took Jaune on as your student?" Sieg asked.

"Yup. Gotta pass on my legacy somehow," Maria said.

"And who is this young lady?" Willow said, kneeling and smiling at Mae.

Mae squeaked and hid behind Jaune's leg. She had heard of the reputation that the Schnees had when it came to Faunus from the others in the village.

Willow frowned and stood back up. Jaune nudged her out from her spot.

"Mae, that's not very nice. You should introduce yourself," Jaune chided.

"H- Hello, my name is Mae and I'm seven years old," she said, bowing slightly before them.

The others smiled. Jeanne kneeled before her and patted her head.

"Hello Mae, I'm Jeanne Arc," she said.

"I'm Sieg Arc," Sieg said, standing before her.

Willow looked down at the girl and sent her a reassuring smile before softly petting her.

"I'm Willow Schnee. I know that you're scared of me because of my last name but I can assure you, I'm nothing like my husband," Willow said. She noticed that the girl's tail was slightly stiff and frizzy. "I like your tail. It's very beautiful."

Mae's eyes lit up as she looked at the woman.

"Really?"

"Of course. You know back when I was a huntress, we had a faunus on our team. He was a panther faunus," Willow said.

"Wow, can you tell me more?" Mae asked.

Jaune smiled and looked at his parents.

"Well, tell us more about what happened," Sieg said.

"Well, there was this one time that…"

* * *

**RWBY Dorm**

* * *

No one spoke the entire time they walked back to their dorms. Jaune's funeral forced them to face what they had done. They being the operating term. Blake was the only one who had sided with Jaune through this whole mess and now with the revelation of how Jaune acquired those transcripts in the first place as well as what he did before coming to this school, well, RWBY's spirits were on the down-low.

Weiss, despite the front she had presented of being indifferent to the whole thing, was now… depressed and feeling guilty. When she had met the Arcs, she had expected them to be just regular people but to learn that his parents were famous hunters from Professor Goodwitch, well, that put a major dent in her. She learned that Jaune was like her in that aspect. They both came from well-known families and wanted to escape their family names and carve their own path. The only difference between them was that Jaune's parents cared for him while hers… well, her mother cared about her but her father didn't.

She could still remember the conversation she and her mother had hours before the funeral started.

* * *

_Weiss walked the halls of Beacon determined to find one person. Her mother, Willow Schnee. When her mother had arrived, she had berated her in front of her entire team on her actions towards Jaune and she wasn't having any of it._

_That lying filthy cheat snuck into the school. If that wasn't bad, she just knew that Jaune was playing the ignorant fool when it came to her name. His parents, despite the fact that they were formerly famous hunters as she learned from Professor Goodwitch, were mere tavern owners earning whatever paltry wage they could from whatever residents lived in the backwater town that Jaune had hailed from. And now, an opportunity to elevate his monetary findings presented itself to him and Weiss wasn't going to have any of that. _

_She found her mother walking with the Arc Matriarch. The two were talking and laughing as if they were old friends. Ignoring whatever consequence that this might inflict upon her relationship with her mother, Weiss marched right up to the two older women._

"_Mother, I need a moment to speak with you," Weiss demanded._

_Willow stopped her conversation with Jeanne and turned her icy blue eyes and fixed them on her daughter._

"_Yes, Weiss, is something the matter?" Willow asked._

"_Yes, there is. We need to talk about why you're so defensive when it comes to Arc," Weiss said._

"_Hmm, I believe that we do," Willow said._

"_Umm, I'll go if you need me to go," Jeanne said as she eyed the mother-daughter pair._

"_Huh? Oh, right, I'll see you later Pyro. Don't set anything on fire," Willow said, smirking._

"_Huh, I haven't done that in years Ice Bitch," Jeanne said, walking off. _

_Weiss was appalled. How dare this woman disrespect her mother like that! As she was about to reprimand her, Willow placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to follow._

"_Now, let's continue our conversation from earlier," Willow said. "You say that you hate Jaune for sneaking into the school and supposedly trying to get into your pants to steal the family fortune is that right?"_

"_Yes, it is, mother! Why can you not see that? Other than the fact that you so blatantly ignored that he spat in the faces of every student who worked hard to get into this school, including mine, he has the gall to think that I'm stupid enough to not see through his false kindness," Weiss said._

"_Oh Weiss," Willow said._

"_Mother, you have to understand this. The Arcs are playing me. Playing you! Can't you see that they're trying to take our money by establishing a relationship! Father always said that your enemies always try to sneak their way into your hearts only to stab you in the back at the very end," Weiss said._

"_Hmph, you would know a thing or two about that wouldn't you Jacques?" Willow muttered. She looked at her daughter._

"_Very wise words from your father Weiss," Willow said. Weiss smiled, thinking her mother had finally understood._

"_If you want to live a life of loneliness."_

_Weiss's smile dropped as she looked at her mother, confused at what she meant._

"_Tell me, Weiss, do you use this sort of mentality when assessing your team as well?" Willow asked._

"_...," Weiss went silent._

"_I don't," she finally answered._

"_Then why was it different for him?" Willow asked._

"_Because… Because…," Weiss couldn't come up with a reason beyond he snuck in._

"_This is all just misguided hatred towards him is it not? I know that it hurts to have all your effort spat upon by someone who took the easy way to get on the same platform as you. Believe me, I know but remember this. If I hadn't allowed you to go to Beacon, you would have ended up coming in the same manner as he did," Willow said._

"_What are you saying, mother?"_

"_That you and Jaune are more alike than you think," Willow said._

"_Explain," Weiss said._

"_Jaune's parents. By now, I'm sure you are aware of who they are," Willow said._

"_Of course, that's Sieg Arc, the Dragon Knight, and Jeanne Arc, the Crimson Saint," Weiss said._

"_Yes, two of the most powerful hunters of their generation as well as two of my closest friends," Willow said._

"_I still don't get where this is going," Weiss said._

"_Having two powerful people as your parents, it's only natural that you want to be like them right?" Willow asked._

"_Of course. Part of the reason I want to become a huntress was because of you and Winter," Weiss said._

"_Well, Jaune wanted to be a hunter because of who his parents were but also, carve his own name. So that people would view him as Jaune Arc the person, not Jaune, son of Sieg and Jeanne. Much like how you want to be Weiss Schnee the person, not Weiss of the Schnees or that Mistral Champion wants to be Pyrrha Nikos the Girl, not Pyrrha Nikos, the Champion," Willow explained._

"_How do you know all of this?" Weiss asked._

"_I'm pretty sure that you know from that old bastard Ozpin that I am his godmother right?" Willow said._

_Weiss nodded but then a thought came to her mind._

"_Why did I never know about Jaune or the Arcs?" she asked._

"_Because of your father," Willow said._

"_Father?" Weiss asked._

"_Before you were born, I used to visit Domremy on the island of Arcadia. I brought Winter there a lot and she and the second Arc Daughter became best friends," Willow said. "When you were born, I was going to go there and show you to them but Jacques had already gotten his filthy claws on you," Willow said. "He threatened your life as well as Winter's so I stayed to keep you safe. Granted, I could have killed him in a direct confrontation, I would have lost in the legal battlefield as Dad signed away my rights to the company to that bastard when he chose him as the heir._

"_And now look at you. I never raised you to be this cruel Weiss. It would be understandable to be upset but to abandon him during a mission and leaving him to die? That… I don't even know where you got that from," Willow said. _

_Weiss looked down._

"_He just wanted to help people Weiss," Willow said. "To be his own person and to carve out his own path just like…"_

"_Me," Weiss said. Willow stopped._

"_You finally understand what you did? You were responsible for the death of another human," Willow said. _

_Weiss looked down as the weight of what she did hit her. Jaune never did anything wrong to her. And she had to admit, as far as reactions went, she went overboard in how she reacted to his transcripts. Her mother was correct. It was normal to feel angry but to be this cruel, it was abhorrent. She was a monster for all the mental abuse she put him through. She, along with the rest of the student body except for a select few, was horrible to him. And now, because of her rampant animosity towards him, he was dead. Dead because she and the others abandoned him._

_Willow watched as her daughter came to terms with what she had just done and decided to leave._

Weiss drew her knees up to her chest and silently apologized in her heart to Jaune, no matter how much she didn't deserve it. She vowed to break free from her father's grip and carve her own name out separate from that of her family. For both of them.

Yang was depressed. She had just been called the very thing she despised by Jaune's twin sister. A monster. And she was right. She was one of the sole perpetrators of Jaune's misery in Beacon. The boy had done nothing but sneak into a school. And why did he sneak in? To help others. Meanwhile, she was a blonde nutcase with abandonment issues who wrecked a bar just for not having information on her mother. In a way, Yang felt that Jaune deserved to be in Beacon way more than she did.

Yes, she was mad that Jaune snuck in. Everyone was. Even Pyrrha herself admitted that she was angry and in disbelief for a short time but still, Pyrrha stuck with him. She wished that she could turn back the clock and slap herself. To tell her that, "Hey, I know what he did was kinda dick move, but aren't you taking this a bit too far?"

Her sister wasn't faring any better. Ruby had been depressed for days now. Almost as much as Pyrrha. Jaune was her best friend. Her so-called "Super Bestie Better Than The Restie" as she so eloquently put it. And she abandoned him to the wolves. Left him to be mentally torn apart by the students of Beacon and to be subject to large amounts of physical abuse.

Ruby felt horrible and sick with herself. She left him. She knew that if the situation was reversed, Jaune would be there, taking the blows for her. So why didn't she? Why didn't she defend him? Why did a false slip of paper change their relationship so drastically? Why did she let that define their friendship and their relationship? And now her chance was gone. What chance was that? Well, Ruby harbored feelings for the blonde knight. Deep within her heart, she had feelings for Jaune. And why wouldn't she? The two got along. They were best friends and did everything together. That is until his transcripts were revealed. The only reason she didn't actively pursue him was out of respect for Pyrrha.

Over the past few days, Ruby had found herself talking and apologizing to a picture of Jaune on her scroll and now… she couldn't look at it without feeling depression and an immense amount of guilt. Guilt for the abuse she had abandoned him to.

Blake sat on her bed. She felt guilty as well as sad. Sadness at the fact that Remnant lost one of its best people. In the time she had known Jaune, he was the kindest person she had ever met. He stood up for the others, whereas others who claim to support the Faunus just stood by and watched. Blake could remember how much the others admonished Cardin for his treatment of Velvet yet Jaune was the only one who stood up to him. And guilt for not being able to do more for Jaune. To help him more when he needed her the most. She remembered when Jaune found out that she was a Faunus. It was more of an accident really. It was on their second week of school.

_Blake walked silently through the halls of Beacon, looking for somewhere to read. Yang and Weiss had gotten into an argument about who used Yang's hair products and Ruby stayed behind in an attempt to defuse the entire situation. Deciding that the roof was a good place to read, she made her way there and sat down. Pulling out an all too familiar book, she turned to the chapter she had marked and began to read._

"_Huh Blake, I didn't know you were here," a voice called out._

_Blake jumped and berated herself. She turned and saw Jaune walking up to her._

"_What are you doing here?" she asked._

"_I come up here to stargaze. It's something me and my sister did back in our hometown," Jaune answered._

"_Oh," Blake said._

"_I'll leave you to it," Jaune said when she saw that she had a book in hand. Jaune just sat down and looked at the stars. He pulled a notebook from his pocket and began to scribble down some star formations. The two sat in comfortable silence before a strong wind blew past. _

_Blake's ribbon, which wasn't secured as tightly as she had hoped, was blown away by the wind. _

"_My ribbon!" she said._

_Jaune, upon hearing, immediately stood and saw her ribbon flying and was about to go off the edge of the roof. He ran after it and caught it in time, nearly falling over the edge himself._

"_I got your ri...bbon? Um, Blake, are you a Faunus?" Jaune asked._

_Blake blinked and realized that he could now see her ears because her ribbon was removed._

"_Ummmm," Blake began to walk slowly towards him, fully intending on performing a full cognitive redaction but stopped at his next words._

"_Um, you can have it back. Just so we're clear, I don't really care if you're a Faunus. Faunus or Human, people are still people and no one should be treated that way," Jaune said as he handed her the ribbon. He smiled and the moonlight made him look ethereal. Blake's heart skipped a beat as she took her ribbon from his hand and looked away. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she struggled to control her heart rate. It was just like that scene in Ninjas of Love where Takashi stated that he didn't care whether or not Haruka was the daughter of the enemy Daimyo._

"_T-Thanks," Blake said._

"_You're welcome," Jaune said as he went back to stargazing. Blake looked at him for a few more minutes before deciding to sit next to him. Jaune blinked when he felt Blake lean into him,_

"_Um, what are you…?"_

"_It's cold," she said. "And you're warm." _

"_Oh."_

Blake smiled at the memory before her sadness returned. Jaune was a good friend and if Pyrrha didn't like him, she would have taken Jaune for herself. Now, she'll never get to spend time with him nor see him ever again and to Blake, that was one of the worst things she could ever think of other than losing her family and her team.

**JNPR Dorm**

Ren entered the dorm room with a depressed Nora. Alice had left them earlier, saying that she had to go and comfort her mother. Ren and Nora understood and made their way back to their dorm room after a short walk to clear their heads.

_Pyrrha must have been here_, Ren thought as he saw the small dip in her bed. He turned to Nora. All the light had officially left her eyes. She looked so dead after the funeral. And he wasn't faring so well either. He wanted to beat himself up for distancing himself from Jaune. He knew that there was something more involving the whole transcripts debacle but he let his pride get the better of him and now… Jaune was dead. Gone forever. And he was to blame even though Pyrrha had told them that it wasn't their fault since Jaune told them to take her to the ship. Still, Ren felt responsible for what happened. If only he had stayed with Jaune during the mission. If only he had taken the time to hear him out. If only he had defended him. If only… these were the only things Ren had left now of his leader. Regrets. Tons and tons of regrets. Regrets at being a horrible teammate. Regrets at being a horrible friend.

As Ren wallowed in his regrets, Nora was slowly cracking on the inside. In the time that the team was together in Beacon, Jaune had become family to her. The older brother that she never had. He cared for each and every one of them and what did they do to him. Left him. Left him to be torn apart emotionally and mentally by the student body. Her gaze traveled to Crocea Mors, the blade of her former leader. She walked over to it and picked it up.

Ren noticed that Nora had moved and was now holding Jaune's sword. Without warning, she drew Crocea Mors from its sheath and ran the blade across her palm.

"NORA!" Ren ran over to her and prepared to take the sword when she held it out to him.

"Renny, I'm making a promise with my blood to make sure nothing ever happens to Alice. Nothing like what happened to Jaune. I'm promising never to abandon my friends like that ever again!" Nora said with clear resolve in her eyes.

"Nora…," Ren said. He took the blade and winced as he slowly ran its edge across his palm.

"I will as well. Alice is all we have left of Jaune now other than the sword and Pyrrha and I'm pretty sure that Pyrrha will start using it now," Ren said.

"Yeah," Nora said. "Why did he have to die Ren? Why did we have to abandon him? Jaune deserved none of that. Sure, he snuck in but what happened to him was beyond cruel. And he snuck in for reasons nearly everyone in the school doesn't have. To help people. Pyrrha was right when she said that this school has too many villains. Everyone here has their heads stuck up their asses."

"Even us," Ren said. Nora stayed silent.

"Yeah, even us," Nora said finally.

"The best we can do to make it up to Jaune now is to make sure that the same thing never happens to anyone else," Ren said. Nora nodded.

**Beacon Docks**

Jaune, Maria, and Mae all stood at the docks with the Arc Family, Willow, and Pyrrha. It was time. Time for them to go. Jaune looked back at his mother who was crying slightly at the thought of her son leaving her again. Jaune sighed and sent his mother a reassuring smile.

"Mom, I'll be back for the festival," Jaune said.

"You better. Maria, take care of my baby boy or so help me, no God will be able to protect you from me," Jeanne said, her violet eyes flickering to yellow.

"Of course. Someone has to," Maria said.

Jaune deadpanned as his gaze traveled between his mother and his new teacher.

"Wait, Jaune before you go, someone wants to see you. I may have told them," Alice said.

"Who?" Jaune asked.

"Her," Alice said as she pointed to a running Professor Goodwitch. She ran up to Jaune and hugged him tightly.

"Big Sis Glyn," Jaune said as he hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," Jaune said.

"But still-"

"It wasn't your fault. I just… thought I could put my trust in them to put aside our grievances during a mission," Jaune said.

"Are you going to come back for the festival?" Glynda asked as she pulled away.

"Of course. I made a promise to someone," Jaune said.

"Be careful Jaune-Jaune," Alice said.

"You too Ally-Cat. And kick some ass for me," Jaune said.

"Language," Jeanne said. Sieg walked up to his son and handed him something.

"A new scroll. Since they brought in your old one broken," Sieg said.

"Thanks, Dad," Jaune said.

"Like your mother said, don't stay away for too long," Sieg said.

"Yeah, I won't," Jaune replied.

Vert and Saphron gave him nods while Petra glomped his leg.

"I'll miss you Big Brother!" Petra said.

"I'll miss you too Pet but I'm coming back for the festival," Jaune said.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Pinky promise?" Petra asked, holding her pinky out.

Jaune smiled and locked his pinky with hers.

"Pinky promise," Jaune said. Petra smiled and returned to her older sister's side.

Pyrrha walked up to Jaune and faced him.

"Pyr, I'm sorry I can't stay bu-" Jaune's eyes widened when Pyrrha kissed him deeply. Jaune closed his eyes and leaned in, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

After a few minutes, the two pulled apart, their noses still touching and looked deep into each other's eyes.

"That was for luck," Pyrrha said.

"I feel like I can fight the entire Atlesian Army now," Jaune said.

"Ahem," the two turned and saw Alice covering Petra's eyes. Vert was giggling madly while scribbling in her notepad. Saphron smiled and made kissy faces. Willow and Sieg looked at the two approvingly while Jeanne kept mouthing "Ring" to Jaune.

"Let's go, kid," Maria said.

"I have to go," Jaune said.

"I'll be waiting," Pyrrha said.

Jaune smiled and boarded the airbus. He looked out the window and waved to them.

"WAIT!" the bus driver stopped and opened the door. Pyrrha ran in and shoved a bottle of pills into Jaune's chest.

"You forgot these," Pyrrha said.

"What would I do without you?" Jaune asked.

"Crash and burn," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, I probably would," he replied.

"Okay, you two, we have other passengers on this bus," the driver said.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha said, bowing profusely. She made her way to the door and sent Jaune a loving smile before stepping off.

"Hold on to her," Maria said as Jaune sat down next to her.

"Huh?" Jaune turned to her curiously.

"Someone like her only comes around once in a lifetime," Maria said.

"You sound like you speak from experience," Jaune said.

"I do," she replied cryptically. Jaune nodded and sat down. He looked out the window as the bus took off. His mind was currently set to tomorrow and whatever new horizons awaited him and his friends.

* * *

**Okay, so that's the end of that. I admit the ending of this chapter was a bit lackluster in my opinion. Oh well. Anyway, I hope you guys are ready for the next Arc. Jaune will get his weapons, continue traveling and training with Maria, Nyx, and Mae and finally go to the festival with his girl! Woooooo! A lot of you suggested that I look at Masseffect-TxS for some inspiration on how to make Pyrrha's new armor so Cinder doesn't you know shoot her heart. Also, don't leave reviews that go like:**

**REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**

**It messes up the format of the reviews page and it's annoying for me to have to scroll through when reading. **

**Also, to some of you who pointed out that Alice's name doesn't fall in line with the color naming rule. I found my in. Alice Blue. It's a shade of blue that you see in ice. Just look it up. Teddy Roosevelt's daughter Alice loved that shade hence why it was called Alice Blue. **

**Anyway, leave a review. Follow/Fav, you guys know the drill. Cheers though if you stuck around til the end. Have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours.**


	8. Arc 2: Kinrin

**Well, here's a new chapter guys. I hope you all like it. This is Arc 2! I have some things planned for this.**

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**Aurba**

* * *

"So kid, are you ready to get your new weapons?" Maria asked as they navigated the streets of Aurba.

"Yeah, he said three weeks but man, Ash works fast," Jaune said as he

It had been two weeks since they left Beacon and Jaune and Maria continued Jaune's training. She had gotten him started on exercises on strength, flexibility, and speed as she planned to pass on her fighting style onto him. Jaune stated that he was going to add his own flair into the style to accommodate his semblance.

Speaking of which, Maria had explained to him about Semblance Types.

* * *

_Jaune collapsed on his back as he stared up at the sky. His chest heaved up and down as he inhaled as much oxygen as he could. His muscles burned and he could feel the blood rushing and his heart pounding in his ears. His head turned tiredly to the side to see Maria standing there with a grin on her face. In her hands was her cane. _

_Hours of trying and several days of repetition and he still couldn't touch the damn cane. There was more to this exercise than disarming an opponent as Jaune had quickly discovered. She was training him to fight an armed opponent without a weapon, as well as training his reflexes, speed, strength, and endurance. There were times that Maria had forbidden Jaune from using his semblance. She reasoned that you shouldn't be overly reliant on your semblance. Jaune scowled internally at the thought. Her semblance, Preflexes, allowed her to predict and react with near-instantaneous speeds to whatever was coming at her._

"_Good job kid!" Maria said as she sat down next to him. _

"_Y- Yeah, even with my semblance, I still couldn't," he said while panting._

"_Hmph. I'm guessing this is your first time fighting someone with an Enhancement Type Semblance?" Maria asked._

"_Enhancement?" Jaune asked as he finally sat up. He looked over and saw Maria holding out a bottle of water, which he graciously accepted._

"_Hmm, did they not teach you what semblance types were at Beacon?" Maria asked._

"_No, we never got to that I think or maybe they taught it in combat school," Jaune said as he unscrewed the bottle cap._

"_Well, I guess I'll have to explain then. As you know, Semblances are capable of manipulating physical phenomena in accordance with their power. Someone with a Speed Semblance can go really fast while someone like the Schnees can use Glyphs to do a variety of things like Summon or enhancement," she explained._

"_Okay, but what does this have to do with Semblance types?" Jaune asked._

"_I'm getting to that. Semblances generally fall under five categories. You have Physical Type Semblances, Status Semblances, Manipulation Type Semblances, Conjuration Semblances, and Elemental or Dust Semblances. Physical Semblances are like mine. They enhance physical attributes or multiple physical attributes. My semblance, Preflexes, enhances my reaction time, giving me a sort of sixth sense. Status Semblances are often referred to as support semblances. The Schnee's Glyphs can fall under this category as their glyphs are capable of producing support type effects. In addition, Status Semblances can also grant debilitating effects. The worst recorded was that of Marcus Black whose Semblance is known as Nullify. It allows him to prevent others from using their Semblances. Essentially, it makes them powerless," Maria said._

_Jaune paled. A man who could nullify semblances. _

"_What happened to him?" he asked._

"_No one knows for certain," Maria said. "Moving on! The next type is Manipulation Semblances. Manipulation Semblances allows for the manipulation of natural phenomena. For example, someone could have a semblance that grants someone control over sound or limited weather control. Your semblance, Thaumiel, is a Manipulation Type Semblance as it allows you to control and shape your aura as you see fit. Hell, it might even have more applications than that. The next type is Conjuration Type Semblances. Conjuration Type Semblances allow the user to summon or create. As simple as that. Cloning Semblances and the Summoning Glyphs of the Schnees are a good example."_

"_Would my semblance also fall under Conjuration?" Jaune asked._

"_It depends. Can you summon?" Maria asked._

"_Er… no," Jaune said. "Does making arms and weapons out of my aura count?"_

"_Hmmm, we'll have to look into it more but shaping your aura into arms doesn't count. It's more the weapon creation part."_

"_Oh."_

"_Lastly, we have Elemental or Dust Based Semblances. These Semblances used to be part of the Manipulation Type Semblance but there were too many popping up so they were given their own category. Elemental Semblances are semblances that can control the elements. For example, your mother's semblance, Sunshine, allows her to control and manipulate fire," Maria said._

"_I think I get it."_

"_Good. Now, let's head back."_

* * *

Jaune blinked when he felt someone tug on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Mae looking up at him, her golden eyes begging for something.

"What's wrong Mae?" Jaune asked.

"Can you give me a piggyback ride?" Mae said. Jaune smiled and squatted, allowing the small Fox Faunus to climb on. The four walked for a few more minutes before finally arriving at the Scorched Hammer.

Maria pushed the door open to see Ash at the counter. The old man's eyes lit up upon seeing them.

"And here I thought I'd had to sell these weapons to the highest bidder," Ash joked as they walked to the counter.

"Sorry, we're late. We had some, um, problems getting here," Jaune said sheepishly.

"He lost our bus tickets and we had to wait in line for new ones," Maria said.

"Oh come on! I didn't lose them! I just… misplaced them," Jaune said, his cheeks red from embarrassment.

Mae and Maria laughed alongside Ash at the boy's predicament.

"Look, can we just get the weapons?" Jaune asked with an annoyed look on his face.

"Sure thing kid," Ash said. He turned and gestured for them to follow. Upon entering, Jaune saw that the table was covered in a large brown cloth. He became giddy as they got closer.

"I haven't siderite in years so this was a journey," Ash said as he pulled off the covers. While he wasn't a weapon nut like Ruby, Jaune couldn't help but gush upon seeing his new armor and weapons. His finished set of Kamas looked beautiful. The blades gave off a silvery sheen as the light hit it. Its curved, hook-like blades looked sharp enough to cut just by looking at it. Jaune noticed that the blade was segmented. The shaft was at least a meter long and looked like it could alter its size, suggesting an alternate form. Jaune picked one up and noticed how light it was despite its size.

"Kid, you're gonna like what it does," Ash said. "Pick up the other one."

Jaune nodded and grabbed the other scythe.

"Now, I added a few twists to the ranged option of the weapon as well as its alternate form," Ash said.

"Alternate?" Jaune asked.

"If you noticed, the blades look like they can fit together," Ash said. Jaune looked down and saw that he was right. The blades looked as if they could fit together. Jaune placed the two kamas close to each other and two his surprise, the segmentations glowed violet and the two blades snapped together. As soon as they did, the shaft got shorter and the now single blade shifting ninety degrees into a curved sword with a four-foot-long blade.

"A sword?" Jaune said, swinging it.

"Yeah, I figured that in you wouldn't want all that training in sword combat with your parents to go to waste," Ash said.

"Thanks," Jaune said, feeling elated at having a sword once more. "How do I turn it back?"

"There's an aura sensor on the grip of the weapon. Just activate your aura around it and it will transform back into kamas and detach from each other," Ash said.

Jaune did as instructed and lo and behold, the weapon transformed back into the dual kamas.

"There's another feature I added. Atlas experimented with vibro-weapon technology a while back and an old friend of mine lent me a vibro-generator and I integrated it into your weapon. When you activate it, it causes the blade to vibrate at extremely high frequencies. Anything that blade hits will be shredded," Ash said.

Jaune's face adopted a wide grin as he cooed at the weapon affectionately. After a few seconds of giving his weapon its well-deserved affection, Jaune noticed his new armor. Ash was glad that he kept the overall design of his prior armor. The only new addition was the greaves.

"Does it have…?" Jaune asked.

"Check the vambraces," Ash said.

Jaune picked up one of the vambraces and strapped it on.

"Now, like your kamas, I placed a pressure sensor that allows for the ranged weapon that I have fitted on your vambrace to activate and deactivate," Ash said.

"You actually did it?" Jaune said as he inspected the brace. He noticed that it was slightly bulkier than normal. He activated his aura and heard a sliding sound. He looked at the end of the vambrace which opened up to his hand and noticed two circular holes.

"It's outfitted with barrels that are hidden by your vambrace. Don't worry, I placed some shock absorbent material into the design so your hand doesn't get blasted into pieces when you fire it. Give it a try," Ash said, pointing at a wall that was riddled with bullet holes.

Jaune raised his arm and pointed it at the wall.

"How do I fire it?" Jaune asked.

"Ah, right. There are pressure sensors on your gloves. All you have to do is clench your fists," Ash said.

Jaune squeezed his fist and nearly jumped when the barrel went off and added a new bullet hole to the wall. His eyes lit up and he began to squeeze his fist over and over again, adding a new hole to the wall. Eventually, the sound of empty clicking could be heard. Ash smiled and handed Jaune a new cartridge.

"Just know that the bullets are smaller than the average but they're fired at the same speed as your standard 9mm," Ash said.

"Can I fire dust rounds?" Jaune asked.

"Of course," Ash said, crossing his arms. "What do you take me for? I'm the best weaponsmith this side of Mantle."

"No, no, I wasn't-!" Jaune stopped when he saw Ash laughing.

"I'm kidding, kid. So how do you like 'em?" Ash asked.

"They're great. More so than what I expected," Jaune said, holding his new weapons and armor. He turned to Ash and bowed deeply. "Thank you."

"No, no, you can thank me by putting them to good use," Ash said.

"How much do I owe you?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm," Ash put his hand on his chin as he calculated the fee for creating Jaune's armor and weaponry. He looked at the boy and sighed.

"1200 lien," Ash answered.

"That's it? I thought it would be more," Jaune replied.

"It was. 10,000 was the original price I was going to charge. Getting that vibro-generator from Atlas from under Ironwood's nose wasn't easy you know. Also, I had to purchase the siderite from your parents because I called them out of nowhere and didn't tell them what the metal was for," Ash said.

"Um, how much did Mom and Dad charge?" Jaune asked.

"Not much. 500 lien. I was talking about the shipment from Domremy to Aurbis," Ash said.

"Oh," Jaune looked down.

"Still, though, I won't charge you that much. I want to see where you go with that weapon," Ash said.

"But allow me to make up for your losses," Jaune said. He began to rummage around his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a large amount of lien and handed it to Ash.

"2000 lien?" Ash said, after counting it.

"My parents gave me this before I left. I figured I can use it to begin to pay off the money you spent on making this," Jaune said.

"Kid, I can't take this. Your parents gave this to you to pay for lodging and food," Ash said.

"It's okay. I'll just take on jobs to pay for my living and food expenses. Plus, Maria has money," he said.

"Oy! Don't think that you can use me as your backup source of money," Maria said.

"Look, kid, I'll take the amount I charged you and give you back the rest. If you still feel like paying me off for the expenses in making this, you can pay me off later. _When_ you have the money. However, until you have that money, this is the amount you have to pay," Ash said.

Jaune looked conflicted but accepted the money he was handed.

"I can't thank you enough," Jaune said.

"Just go out there and do your thing," Ash said, smiling at Jaune. Jaune nodded and put down his scythe. He hugged the man before walking over and strapping on his armor. Jaune grabbed his scythes.

"Um, how do I…?" Jaune asked.

"Just convert it to its sword form. Oh right, here. A sheath," Ash said, handing him a curved sheath.

"Thanks," Jaune said.

"No problem, kid," Ash said.

After a few more pointers from Ash on how to maintain his weapon, Jaune, Mae, Nyx, and Maria left the Scorched Hammer and walked out into the streets of Aurba. Jaune had his new weapon strapped to his side and looked every bit the hunter he wanted to be. Now all he needed was the skill that came along with being the hunter he envisioned himself as.

"Okay kid. We're going to stay in Aurba for a few more days before heading back out on the road. This time, we're not taking any mode of transportation, except for the air ride to Sanus. I doubt any of us can walk on water. After that, we're traveling the old fashion way," Maria said.

"Old fashion way?" Mae asked.

"Yup! We'll walk everywhere!" Maria said.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Jaune said.

"Right. The closest large town to Aurba is actually on the other side of the Mantle-Sanus Border across the sea and is about a day's journey from the port. 10 minutes if we take transportation. There, we'll continue your training," Maria said.

"What about jobs? We'll run out of money eventually," Jaune said.

"Small towns like that one don't get much in hunters coming around so if they have a grimm problem or bandits, they just ask passing hunters to take care of them," Maria said.

"Were you one of the passing hunters?" Jaune asked.

"I was," she replied. "Once."

Jaune nodded and didn't ask any further, opting instead to pull Nyx out of his hoodie and pet her while they were walking.

* * *

**Beacon**

* * *

Pyrrha sighed as she looked out the window of Port's classroom. It had been two weeks since Jaune left and an entire day since he called her. Was she getting worried? Yes. What if there was some grimm that didn't listen to his command and just killed him? The image from her nightmare had never left her of Jaune's mangled corpse and Ruby smashing his skull like a grape. Of course, Pyrrha knew that Ruby would never do such a thing. The girl was too sweet to kill anyone. She would never say it aloud nor show it, but Pyrrha had relished at looking at Ruby whenever Jaune was brought up. She secretly enjoyed all of their depressed faces. Even Ren and Nora's to a degree. Blake, however, was the one she felt sorry for. Blake was the only one of their friends who had stuck with Jaune and didn't do anything to him. She even tried helping and for that, Pyrrha found a friend in her.

"Hey, Pyrrha, you alright?" Alice asked, snapping Pyrrha out of her reverie.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Pyrrha said.

Alice nodded and returned to her doodles.

"Hey Alice," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah," she responded.

"Do you think I'm being a clingy girlfriend by wanting him to call me all the time?" Pyrrha asked.

Alice stopped her doodles and sighed. This wasn't the first time Pyrrha had asked her for advice on how to be a good girlfriend to her brother. It was the fifth time that day she had asked and three hundred and first time in the span of the past two weeks. Alice found it cute but also annoying.

"Look Pyrrha, he's fine. I can sense him remember," Alice said.

"Right. You're right," Pyrrha said, feeling glum.

"Pyrrha, you're a wonderful girlfriend but you need to stop worrying all the time. It's not good for your health and Jaune can take care of himself. He's not a baby anymore" Alice said.

"Yeah, yeah, besides, what's the worst that could happen?" Pyrrha said.

* * *

"This is officially the worst thing that has ever happened," Jaune said as he wiped the slime off his face. He was currently being nuzzled by a king taijitu. Jaune, Maria, Mae, and Nyx had arrived in Sanus several hours ago and had begun to make their way to the village Maria was talking about. On the way, Mae needed to go to the bathroom and ran back screaming with a King Taijitu on her literal tail. The large grimm was about to grab her when Jaune got in front of her. The grimm had frozen and licked the air around Jaune before wrapping around him and licking him all over his face. Which brings it to now.

"Looks like you can control more than just Beowolves," Maria said as she walked around the two.

"Seriously, I didn't even do anythin- DOWN BOY!" Jaune said. The massive serpentine grimm back off and lowered its head. Jaune immediately felt bad and went over and pet its snout. The white half nudged Jaune and he sighed, bringing his hand up to pet the white half.

"Looks like Nyx is jealous," Maria said as she glanced over at the growling Beowolf Puppy in Mae's arms.

"Aww, Nyxie," Jaune said, walking over and grabbing the pup. "I could never replace you!" he said. Nyx barked and licked Jaune's cheek before growling at the Taijitu. The Taijitu bristled and hissed at Nyx.

"Hey, how close are we by the way?" Jaune asked.

"Just an hour left of walking," Maria said.

Jaune nodded and looked at the sky. The sky was turning violet, indicating that the sun was going to set soon. They had to make it to the town by nightfall so that they could get some rest before Maria continued Jaune's training. As the group began to walk, they heard shuffling behind them and saw that the Taijitu was following them. Well, it was following Jaune.

"Umm, we can't bring a giant snake into town," Maria said.

"I know. Hey, um look big guy. You can't come with us," Jaune said. The snake looked at him curiously with both heads.

"You'll have to stay here," Jaune said. The snake looked at Jaune for a few more seconds before slithering away.

"Huh, I didn't think it would be that easy," Maria said.

"Yeah, well, I'm a Grimm Whisperer now so that wasn't going to be hard you know!" Jaune said, puffing out his chest.

"Don't get a big head now, kid," Maria said, turning around and continuing her walk into town.

"So what is this town called?" Jaune asked as he picked Mae off the ground and placed her on his shoulders. The young girl had become tired and was slowing down so Jaune decided to carry her. Mae smiled and looked into the distance.

"It's called Kinrin. It literally means Golden Wheel," Maria said.

"Interesting name for a town. Is it a mining town or something?" Jaune asked.

"Of sorts. There's a dust mine in the town and the SDC has a large presence inside the town, however, due to the hardline policies against big companies implemented by the town's current mayor, the SDC's presence is only really present within the mines. The town has one of the largest faunus populations on Sanus, outside of the capitals of Vale and Vacuo," Maria said.

"Look!" Mae said, pointing. Jaune and Maria looked ahead and saw the walls of a town in the distance.

"Finally. My legs are killing me," Jaune said.

"Mine too. Let's get to town and find somewhere to stay. After that we can go get food," Maria said.

"That sounds nice. You two are starving, right? Mae? Nyx?" Jaune asked. Mae nodded while Nyx popped her head out of Jaune's hoodie.

The small group arrived at the town, passing through the gates. Kinrin was a fairly large town. Most of the houses possessed the same architectural design reminiscent of the buildings in Mistral from the pictures that Pyrrha had shown him. The rest possessed the same design one could find in Vale with a more western take as opposed to the eastern-influenced buildings. Lampposts lined the roads and people walked the streets. Stores that sold weapons, dust, clothing, and food lined the street that Maria, Jaune, Mae, and Nyx walked down.

The four turned down the corner and saw the inn. The building was a large wooden cabin with four floors. The building looked cozy and gave off a warm feeling. A sign hung out at the front with the words "The Inn" written on it.

"I feel like they could come up with a better name," Jaune said as he read the sign.

"Well, the name clearly draws in people," Maria said, looked through the window.

"Let's go," Jaune said as he allowed Mae to get down from his shoulders. He pushed open the door and held it open for Maria and Mae to walk inside. Like Jaune suspected, the building was cozy. A fire burned in the hearth as patrons sat around in chairs, enjoying a warm meal. The lighting added to the homely feeling as the bulbs cast a warm orange light across the entire lobby. A bearskin rug was on the floor in front of the check-in desk.

"Here kid," Maria said, handing Jaune several hundred lien. "Two rooms. One for me. One for you, Mae, and Nyx."

Jaune nodded and walked over to the check-in desk. Upon walking, Jaune noticed a faunus looking at the computer. He had short spiky black hair and wolf ears on top of his head. The faunus also had a pale complexion and wore a blue uniform with The Inn embroidered in small letters on the upper left breast of the uniform.

Jaune rang the bell and the faunus looked at him.

"Welcome to the Inn. How can I help you?" the faunus said.

"Umm, I'd like to rent two rooms for a couple of nights," Jaune said.

"We only have second-floor rooms available. Would that be alright?" the faunus said.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Jaune said.

"Your room numbers are 216 and 218. Enjoy your stay here at The Inn," the faunus said, checking him in. He walked over to a small board that held a few keys, grabbed two and walked back over, handing them to Jaune.

"I got us rooms," Jaune said, walking back over.

"Good, let's go rest up and then go get some grub," Maria said.

* * *

"So, anyone feel like Mistralian or Vacuan food?" Jaune asked as they walked down streets, looking for something to eat.

"Mistralian food sounds nice. But it all depends on if we're getting eastern Mistralian, North Mistralian, or Southern Mistralian Food. I personally vote for getting Eastern Mistralian food. Their Mongolian Beef is to die for," Maria said.

"I know that Mongolian Beef is good but Northern Mistralian Katsudon or any Donburi is better than whatever Southern or Eastern Mistralians can make," Jaune argued.

"Fine, let's play rock-paper-scissors to see whether we get Eastern Mistralian Food or Northern Mistralian Food," Maria said.

"Okay," Jaune said.

"Rock!"

"Paper"

"Scissors!"

"SHOOT!"

"BULLSHIT!" Maria said as she saw Jaune's scissors. She had thrown out paper. "Fine, kid."

"Okay, I saw a Northern Mistralian Place called Tsukihime Restaurant," Jaune said, leading them down the street.

"Please, I'll pay!"

Jaune and Maria turned and saw an old bear faunus on the ground. His daughter was being held by several soldiers dressed in white. Jaune immediately noticed the SDC logo imprinted into their uniforms.

"You had your chance old man and now, your granddaughter will be what we're taking as payment," the one Jaune and Maria presumed to be the leader said.

"Don't hurt my grandpa!" the girl said, struggling against them.

"Shut her up," he said.

"Yes, sir," one of them said and slapped the girl.

"Hey!" Jaune said, walking over.

"Huh?" the leader turned and saw Jaune.

"Leave them alone," he said.

"Oh, and who's gonna make me?" he said, getting in Jaune's face. "You?" the leader shoved Jaune, sending him stumbling back.

"If I have to," Jaune said, trying to remain calm.

"Kid, we work for the Schnee Dust Company. We can do whatever we want and if we want this Faunus Girl, we'll get this Faunus Girl," the leader said. "Now back off before you get hurt."

The leader lifted his uniform slightly, revealing the handle of a gun.

Jaune looked at the gun and then back to the leader.

"Okay," he said.

"Good. At least you know your place. Below your betters," he said.

Jaune remained silent, his bangs hiding his eyes.

"Now where were we?" he said, turning back to the Faunus. He felt something grab his shoulder and turned expecting to see Jaune only for is face to be met with a violet fist. The leader flew across the street and crashed into a wall.

The soldiers reacted immediately and pointed their rifles at Jaune.

"Let them go," Jaune said, revealing his now violet eyes. His aura flared and became visible as several aura arms grew out of the shroud.

"What are you waiting for?" the leader said, holding his arm. "KILL HIM!"

The soldiers prepared to fire, only for their rifles to be grabbed by Jaune.

"You don't need these," he said. Jaune willed the arms to drop the rifles next to him before stretching his arm out and sending the fists, hitting all of the soldiers. No, these weren't soldiers. Soldiers put up more of a fight. These were thugs. One of them ran at Jaune with a knife in hand and Jaune dodged it. He drew his weapon in sword form.

_Might as well test out the vibro function,_ he thought as he turned on the generator. Jaune blocked the knife with the sword, cutting through the blade like a hot knife through butter.

The thug looked down at his now destroyed weapon and backed away.

Jaune sent an aura arm, punching him in the face. A sick crunch was heard as the man's nose was broken and he was knocked out.

"Hey! What's going on here!?" Jaune turned and saw several Faunus policemen walking over to him.

"We were being harassed by these Schnee Thugs!" the girl said, sitting next to her grandfather. "Luckily, this guy was here to save us."

"I see. This is the third time this week," the cops said, walking over to the SDC employees and cuffing them.

"Hey, let go of me! I am an employee of the SD-!"

"Blah, blah, blah. You know the rules of this town the minute that bastard signed a contract to mine here. The SDC has no power or jurisdiction outside the mines," the officer said as he and his partners led them away.

"Thanks for saving us," the girl said.

"Yeah, no problem," Jaune said. He noticed that she looked significantly different from the man she called grandfather.

"Still, thanks. The SDC has been a problem in this town since they moved in. They think they can bully everyone in town just because a majority of our population are Faunus," she said.

"Really?" Jaune said.

"Yeah. More and more people are turning to the White Fang and rumor has it that they've begun targeting the mines for dust," the girl said.

"I see," he replied.

"So be careful out there okay?" the girl said.

"Yeah, thanks," Jaune said.

"I need to go get my grandpa some help. Thanks again!" the girl said as she ran over to her grandfather and helped him up, leading him to where Jaune could only assume was a clinic.

"That was nice of you," Maria said as she and Mae waited for Jaune.

"It was no biggie really. I don't like watching others being picked on. Had enough of that happen to me back at… Beacon," Jaune said, his eyes dimming slightly as he remembered the bullying he faced from Cardin and later, the entire student body after his transcripts were revealed. He could only hope that Alice was not facing the same treatment due to her relation to him.

"Come on kid. I think I saw that Tsukihime place you were talking about," Maria said. Jaune nodded and followed her to the restaurant.

* * *

After the restaurant, the four returned to The Inn to get some rest. Maria had said that she was going to wake Jaune up early the next day to begin training in how to use the kamas before going to her room. The incident with the SDC was now the talk of the town and on the way back, Jaune had seen several members of the White Fang preaching about how Adam Taurus was going to end human oppression and how the Faunus were going to rise up and take what they deserved.

Zealots. That was the only word Jaune could use to describe them. He felt someone tugging his sleeve and he looked down and saw a sleepy Mae.

"Jaune, can you tuck me in?" she asked.

"Of course," Jaune said, gently picking her up. He set her down on the bed and placed the covers over her. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and smiled.

"Good night Mae," Jaune said.

"Good _*yawn*_ night," Mae said. Before she fell asleep, Jaune heard her mutter one more word. "Big Brother…"

Jaune's eyes widened before softening. His gentle smile grew wider as he stroked her hair.

"Sweet dreams Mae," Jaune said as he walked back over to his bed. He sat down and pulled out his scroll and dialed Pyrrha's scroll number.

*_Ring*_

_*Ring*_

_*Rin-*_

"_Hello?_" Pyrrha's voice was heard on his scroll.

"Hey Pyr," Jaune said.

"_Jaune!_" Pyrrha said, happily. Jaune could practically imagine her smile on the other side. "_How have you been?_"

"I've been fine. We're staying in Kinrin right now at a place called The Inn," Jaune said, chuckling.

"_Creative name_," Pyrrha said.

"I know right. Anyway, I got my armor and weapon. I'll send you a picture," Jaune said. He pressed a button and went to the messages. He selected an option and took a picture of his weapon and both its forms and sent it to Pyrrha.

"_Scythes? And a sword too?_" Pyrrha asked as she looked at the photos.

"Yeah. The sword splits apart into dual kamas," Jaune said. "Pretty cool right?"

"_Well, at least our training on the roof isn't going to waste since you still have a sword_," Pyrrha said.

"I have my weaponsmith to thank for that," Jaune said.

"_Oh, give him my thanks too… I miss you Jaune. Our spot on the roof, our dorm, and Beacon are so lonely without you_," Pyrrha said.

"I miss you too Pyr. The Festival is still far from here. Mom and Dad told me that it would be another three weeks before they can get everything back into working order and set up," Jaune said.

"_It's fine. As long as we can meet up in your hometown. Alice said that since I was invited as a guest by your parents, I can bring a plus one with me. I was thinking of bringing Blake with me,_" she said.

"Blake?" Jaune asked, confused.

"_I think she deserves to know that you're alive_," Pyrrha said. "_She stuck with you the entire time like I did_."

Jaune went silent. Blake did stick by his side and was there whenever Pyrrha wasn't able. He remembered when Pyrrha had to go into Vale to take care of something about her champion status. Cardin and Dove had found him and beat him. He was thankful his aura was full or he would have suffered worse injuries. Blake had found him and taken him to the infirmary. The girl never left his side and catered to his needs until he was cleared by the nurse.

"I think that's a good idea, Pyr," Jaune said.

"_Really? Should I tell her now or wait until the Festival?_" Pyrrha asked.

"You can tell her if you want," Jaune said.

"_I think I will. Anyway, Jaune, I hope all goes well with your training and all_," she said.

"Hey, I'll never forget what you taught me Pyr. You're the reason I can even stand training with Maria," Jaune said.

"_R- Really? W- Well, um, I'm glad that I was able to help you. Though I wish I could have done more back when you were…," _Pyrrha said.

"Hey, that's all in the past now. You helped me through one of the worst periods in my life. Honestly, if you weren't there, I probably would have left the school," Jaune said.

"_Really?_"

"Yeah, you were my anchor Pyrrha. My reason for staying."

"_U- I- uh…"_

"What I'm trying to say is… thank you for finding something of worth inside of me for you to stick by me Pyrrha."

"_Jaune. We're best friends, partners, and a couple. I'll always stand by you._"

"Me too. I'll always be by your side Pyrrha."

"_..._"

"Pyrrha?"

"_It's nothing… I just caught a little something in my eye_."

"Hmph. Using the same excuse I do whenever I get teary-eyed."

"_I do not!_"

"Aww, my girlfriend is so cute," Jaune said, chuckling.

"_Jauuunnneee!_"

"Hey, Pyr. I have to get some sleep. Maria is starting my weapons training early tomorrow," Jaune said.

"_Okay then. Good night Jaune. Sweet Dreams,_" Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, good night Pyr," Jaune said. Before he could end the call, Pyrrha said one more thing.

"_I love you Jaune_," she said.

Jaune paused for a second before a wide smile etched itself on his face.

"I love you too Pyrrha," he said.

* * *

**Beacon**

* * *

Pyrrha smiled, a pink hue dusting her cheeks as she ended the call. She began to walk back to her dorm, thinking about the future when she and Jaune would meet again at the festival. She was also thinking of how she was going to break it to Blake that Jaune was still alive. As she walked, she bumped into someone and fell to her butt. She looked up and saw Blake with a book in her hand.

"Blake?"

"Oh hey, Pyrrha," Blake said. Pyrrha got a good look at Blake's face when the moonlight struck it. Her eyes were red-rimmed, presumably from crying. Poor girl. She must still be grieving Jaune's "death".

_What kind of coincidence is this? I think about breaking the news to Blake and she just happens to be coming up here?_ Pyrrha mused.

"Hey, Blake, can we talk?" Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, sure," Blake said.

"I'd rather we do it somewhere where no one can hear us," Pyrrha said.

"Oh! Um, sure," Blake said. The two walked down the hall and to an empty classroom. They entered it and Blake stood there, looking at Pyrrha curiously. Her amber eyes analyzed the Spartan as she turned around.

_This is it, Nikos. The moment of truth!_

"So the thing is Blake… Ummm," Pyrrha began.

"You see…," she said.

"Yes? What is it?" Blake asked.

"I… uh…"

_I CAN'T DO IT!_ Pyrrha screamed internally.

"There's this festival in Jaune's home town that's happening in a couple of weeks and his parents invited me along. I was wondering since you stood by Jaune, would you like to come as my plus one to, you know, pay our final respects?" Pyrrha asked, putting on a somber, depressed face.

Blake's eyes widened at her request. Visiting Jaune's hometown to pay their final respects and send him off from their lives for good? Blake looked down, thinking long and hard about Pyrrha's offer. Blake didn't want to say goodbye. That would mean having to live with the reality that she could never see Jaune again. Not even as a friend.

"Blake?" Pyrrha asked.

The cat faunus sighed. Tears began to flow from her face.

"I- I don't think I'm ready to completely say goodbye to him," she said. "Why? Why him?"

"Blake…," Pyrrha said.

"He was one of the only good people in this school! The only one of us who actually had a goal that was worth something!" Blake screamed as her tears flowed even more.

"So why!? Why him!? Why him and not someone like Cardin!? OR ME!?" she yelled. Her eyes widened when Pyrrha wrapped her in a hug.

Blake quieted down and began to sob harder.

"Shh, it's okay. Jaune… he wouldn't want to see us sad Blake. He would want us to keep fighting for his sake," Pyrrha said as she hugged Blake.

"*_sniff_* Yeah…," she pulled away from Pyrrha. "Hey, Pyrrha. I think I will go with you and Alice to the Festival."

"Really? That's great!" Pyrrha said.

"For Jaune."

Pyrrha smiled a little when she saw a flame burning in Blake's eyes.

"For Jaune."

* * *

**I feel bad for Blake. Does anyone else feel bad for Blake? Anyway, thanks NobleDarkHunter for giving me the Deadshot Wrist Mounted Guns idea. I liked it a lot. As for the other parts of this chapter, I decided to split semblances into five categories. Here they are.**

**-Physical Semblances: Semblances that involve physical aspects of the user, i.e Ruby's Petal Burst and Yang's Burn**

**-Status Semblances: Semblances that can provide beneficial effects to others or status effects.**

**-Manipulation Semblances: Semblances that can manipulate natural phenomena or aura itself. i.e Pyrrha's Polarity, Alice's Keter, Sieg's Ergogenesis, and Jaune's Thaumiel**

**-Conjuration Semblances: Semblances that can create, conjure, or summon i.e Blake's Shadow**

**-Elemental/Dust-Based Semblances: Semblances that can manipulate the elements or have effects that are reliant on dust, i.e Jeanne's Sunshine and Willow's Glyphs.**

**Also, for those of you readers, I will plan on training Mae soon so I need your help with her semblance. Here's the form for it.**

**Semblance Name:**

**Semblance Type: Note, the semblance can fall into more than one Typing. For example, Weiss's Glyphs would fall under all five types since it has a wide array of functions. Emerald's Semblance would be Status and Conjuration, etc. etc.**

**Brief Description: **

**Please feel free to PM me your ideas or write them in the reviews. **

**Well, that's all I have time for today guys. Cheers if you stuck around until the very end, it means a lot to me. Remember, review, follow, fav, all that good shizz. And always remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!**


	9. Arc 2: The Mines

**Hey, New Year! New Chapter! Woohoo. Just letting you all know that submissions for Mae's semblance is still a thing. If you don't want to click back to the previous chapter, then here's the form!**

**Semblance Name:**

**Semblance Type: **

**\- Conjuration**

**\- Physical**

**\- Elemental**

**\- Manipulation**

**\- Status**

**Brief Description/Capabilities:**

**Yeah, so that's the form! Time to get on with the show!**

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

"Move it in!"

Several trucks moved across the forest, disrupting the silence of the night. Each truck parked and several people dismounted and began to unload the packages that the trucks had been carrying. The people who had gotten off the vehicles were met by men and women wearing black uniforms and wearing Grimm-masks. Their most distinctive features were their animalistic traits, indicating that they were faunus.

One of the drivers stepped forward.

"Our payment. It wasn't easy shipping this you know. Getting it was even harder," the man said.

One of the masked faunus walked forward and grabbed the object that the man was holding and inspected it. He tossed it up in the air only for the man in front of him to berate him.

"Are you fucking crazy!? You'll blow us all sky high!" the man said.

The masked person stopped and placed the object in his pocket. He motioned for one of the other masked people to bring forth a suitcase. He handed the suitcase to the man and the man opened it.

The man whistled.

"Pleasure doing business with you," he said. The masked person nodded before signaling one of his compatriots, a man with deer antlers atop his head to run into camp.

"Sir, we have everything ready to strike. We only await your orders," a deer faunus said as he kneeled before a figure. The figure looked out over a small cliff that overlooked the town of Kinrin.

The man looked at him. His face was hidden by a white visor mask much like the faunus who had met with the drivers. Two small horns stuck out and moved into a small slanted position. He wore a black high collar coat as well as black pants. On his feet were black combat boots. At his waist, was a sheathed katana in which his hand rested on its hilt.

"Good. Make sure that everyone is ready," he said. "We'll strike the mines in a few days."

The faunus nodded and walked off to inform the others. The man turned back to look out over the town.

"Soon, humanity will remember what they've done to us. And the Schnee will know what the consequences are for their actions against the Faunus," the man said.

* * *

**Outskirts of Kinrin, 8:45 AM**

* * *

Jaune panted as he gripped his knees for balance. Sweat fell from his face like a river feeding into a waterfall. Around him, his new weapons which he decided to name Sol and Luna. Maria thought they were odd names but commented that they were less odd than her former weapons' names Life and Death.

Jaune had been making progress with his sword skills thanks to some videos that Pyrrha had sent him to his new scroll. But with his scythe skills, he was struggling more than he would like to admit. He had tripped and fallen over his own two feet, trying to wield the dual kamas with the instructions that Maria had given him.

"You're being too stiff. Wielding a kama isn't the same as wielding a sword. Kamas require more dexterity than wielding a blade. Scythe combat isn't built for thrusting like sword combat is. Scythe combat employs the use of slashing, stabbing, grabbing, trapping, and disarming your opponents with the grabbing and stabbing both usually falling into the same category," Maria said.

"Well, sorry, this is my first time ever using one of these," Jaune said as he straightened himself out.

"I can see that. Which is why we're out here. We're going to do some exercises to build your arm strength so as well as your dexterity. While we're at it, we'll also do your stamina," Maria said.

"Right, so now what?" Jaune asked.

"I want you to do 10 sets of 100 push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. Then, you will run around the perimeter of this town five times. After that, you will learn how to juggle and then we'll resume combat and semblance training," Maria said.

"Juggling?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, if anything builds hand skill other than household chores, it's learning how to juggle," Maria said.

"Alright," Jaune said as he walked up to a tree branch.

"I'll be watching your progress so don't think you can slack on me!" Maria said.

"Yeah, yeah, crazy old witch," Jaune said as he hopped up and grabbed the tree branch. He pulled himself up.

"One!"

Several minutes later, Jaune dropped to the ground. His arms were on fire. Every muscle from his biceps to his pectorals felt like they were being torn apart. This was harder than anything Pyrrha had ever put him through. Maria sat on a rock observing him like a hawk. She clapped her hands and pointed to the ground.

"Come on. It's push up time and sit up time," Maria said.

Jaune groaned as he began his next exercises. By the end, Jaune was exhausted. He lay on the ground, inhaling as much air as humanly possible while Maria walked over to him and handed him a towel and a bottle of water.

"Can't *_pant_* I get *_pant_* a small break first?" Jaune asked, breathing heavily as he sat down.

"Why not? While you're at it, we can work on your semblance too," Maria said.

Jaune sighed in relief as he stood up and did some light stretches in preparation for his run. After his stretches, Jaune summoned forth his aura. A violet shroud of energy coated his body as he closed his eyes, his hands clasped in a prayer position as the aura grew in size.

Maria watched with apt interest as Jaune opened his eyes. The color had changed from the sapphire blue that she had become familiar with, to this toxic shade of violet. Jaune held his hand out and portions of his aura split off, condensing into small black spheres that gave off a violet glow. Jaune fired one of the spheres at a tree and Maria's mechanical eyes widened as she watched a perfectly circular hole appear on the tree.

Jaune waved his arm and the sphere came back to him. He manipulated the spheres and merged them into a singular basketball-sized sphere and fired a beam of black and violet energy from it. The beam impacted a large boulder the size of a small truck, reducing it to nothing. Jaune fell to one knee panting as his aura spheres dissipated. His aura shroud was still active and was slowly replenishing his energy.

"Damn kid. That semblance of yours is pretty handy," Maria whistled as she stared at the area where the boulder used to be.

"Thanks. I found out I could do these a few nights ago when I snuck out to train," Jaune said. "So far, I can only do one."

"Still though, the results," Maria said.

"This is nothing compared to what my sister can do. She told me that she can make wings out of her aura," Jaune said as he molded his aura into arms.

"Wings? Can she fly using those wings?" Maria asked.

"I never asked her but… it does seem to fall under the category for a Conjuration Type Semblance," Jaune said.

"Oh, how so," Maria asked.

"Well, her semblance, Keter, it's the name of her semblance, by the way, can pretty much do the same things my semblance, Thaumiel, can do but she mas more control over hers. Alice told me that a few weeks ago, she managed to create a sword made of pure aura as well as summon an aura halo where she can fire weapons from," Jaune said.

"So," Maria placed a hand on her chin. "It does fit the criteria needed for a Conjuration Type Semblance. Are you trying to achieve the same effect?"

"Yeah but so far, all I've been able to make are these balls," Jaune said, creating another black sphere.

"You'll get there," Maria said. "I'm more interested to see if you can make wings like your sister and if so, can you fly?"

"Really? That's your takeaway from this. Not the several other aspects I could be focusing on?" Jaune said.

"Well, it's your semblance so that should be your job. But you have to admit that being able to fly is pretty useful in terms of both everyday life and combat," Maria said.

"Not if they can just shoot me out of the sky," Jaune muttered.

"Ah but then we can add one more piece to your training," Maria said.

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"A basic concept that most hunters will have trouble with," Maria said.

"And that is?"

"Learning how to dodge."

"..."

"Yes, you mock me silently now but you'll learn of its importance in practical combat where there are no rules but to survive," she said.

Jaune nodded.

"Now, isn't it time for you to go run some laps?" she asked.

Jaune groaned and began to make his way back to town.

* * *

Jaune walked like a zombie, shuffling back to the Inn where Mae, Nyx, and Maria were waiting for him. His weapon was in its sword form and was strapped to his back. Those laps took more out of him than he thought it would. The town as he estimated from his first lap had an area of at least 10 square kilometers. It was fairly small for a mining town but then again, Maria had said that this was the biggest town for a while since they were on the outer edge of Sanus near the ocean.

As he made his way back to the hotel, he spotted several faunus giving him the stink eye. Jaune ignored them and kept his head low. He didn't want to start something right now when he was tired.

Unfortunately for him, Murphy just wouldn't let him pass.

"Hey! You!"

Jaune groaned and he began to walk faster.

"Hey, human! Get your ass over here!"

Jaune kept ignoring them and began to run.

"Hey!"

He turned to see a group of four faunus running after him.

_Really!?_ He thought as he turned a corner. Jaune looked behind him to see the Faunus still following him. Jaune rounded another corner only to find himself at a dead end. He turned around, his arm reaching for Sol and Luna.

_I need to find a name for them in their merged form_, Jaune thought as the Faunus stopped in front of him.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," Jaune said as he tensed himself, ready for anything they might want to do to him.

"What? No, I'm here to thank you," a male faunus said, stepping forward. Jaune saw a pair of bear ears from his head.

"Huh?" Jaune relaxed as he looked at the Faunus with visible confusion on his face.

"Um, you saved an old man and a girl the other day," the bear faunus said.

"Oh. I guess I did," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head. "Did you know them or something?"

"Yes, that was my sister and father that you saved from those Schnee thugs," the bear faunus said.

"Oh, it's not a big deal really. They look like they needed some help," Jaune said.

"If you need anything, just come to our shop. We'll give you a discount whenever you make a purchase as thanks for saving my family," the bear faunus said. "I never got to introduce myself did I? My name is Bruno and you are?"

"Jaune. My name is Jaune," he said, shaking the Faunus's hand.

"Anyway, just come by the shop and tell them I sent you. I might not be there since I work down in the mines," Bruno said.

"Oh," Jaune said.

"Yeah, it's not much but it helps keep the lights open in our shop since the Schnees have basically driven everyone out of business involving dust when they moved in," Jaune said.

"That must be hard. Do you guys sell dust?" Jaune asked as he walked out of the alley with Bruno.

"We do but not as much as the other dust stores here. We're more of a general goods store," Bruno said as they walked to the Inn. Bruno noticed that they were in front of the Inn.

"Is this where you're staying?"

"Yeah," Jaune said.

"Huh," Bruno said. "You might wanna watch out. There's word going around that members of the White Fang are staying in this inn."

Jaune frowned.

_The White Fang here? In this town?_ Jaune's thoughts were racing at a million miles per second.

"I feel ya. I get that the Schnees are assholes and all," Bruno said.

"Preachin to the choir here," Jaune said as they entered the Inn and sat down in the lobby.

"Right! Anyway, I don't think that attacking the Schnee Dust Mine will make living for the Faunus any better here than when they moved in. It'll only make things worse," Bruno said sagely.

Jaune nodded in agreement.

"Right. The best thing they can do right now is for Humans and Faunus to band together and get the Schnee kicked out because if you haven't noticed, they're kinda overstepping their bounds," Jaune said.

The clock rang seven times, signifying that it was now seven o clock. Bruno sighed as he stood up.

"As much as I'd like to start a counter-revolution with another like-minded individual, I have to get home and make dinner. I'll see you around during your stay here," Bruno said.

"You too. Be careful out there. The Schnees aren't the only thing that's dangerous in this town," Jaune said. Bruno nodded and waved goodbye as he left the building.

After Bruno left, Jaune just sat there, thinking about their next course of action. The revelation of the news that the White Fang was becoming an increasingly active presence within Kinrin did not sit well with him and he did not want to see the town become an active warzone between the SDC and the White Fang.

_We might have to have to leave town with the way things are going right now. I do not want to get caught in between a guerilla war between the White Fang and the SDC. Brothers know the amount of damage that could cause to a town like this_, Jaune thought.

"Ah, you're back."

Jaune turned to see Maria walking up to him. The elderly woman walked over to the chair that previously held Bruno and sat down.

"You sure took your sweet time getting back here," she said.

"I ran into some trouble or what I thought was trouble," Jaune said.

"What kind?"

"I thought that it was someone who sympathized with the White Fang's 'No Humans Policy' so I ran. Turns out, it was just the brother of the girl I saved the other day coming over to thank me," Jaune said.

"I get where you're coming from, kid. The SDC aren't doing the human-faunus relations in this town any favors. Especially now that the White Fang have moved in," Maria said. "There are better ways to deal with a problem than violence. The White Fang was a result of the prejudice put forth by my generation and now, you have to deal with the consequences."

"I heard that the White Fang weren't always like this from my parents," Jaune said.

"They weren't. The White Fang used to be an activist group for the rights of Faunus across Remnant. They were lead by Ghira… I forgot his last name, before the new leader, Sienna Khan took over and turned the White Fang into a militia group with the same ideals that Ghira had but different methods," Maria said.

Jaune looked down at the ground.

"Do you think that it'll be like this forever?" Jaune asked.

"If people like the SDC and the leaders of the White Fang continue to exist, then it'll always be here. There are many things you can change easily but to change the hearts of humans and Faunus, especially after they've been conditioned and taught to hate someone all their lives is extremely difficult," Maria said.

"But they can change," Jaune said.

"Hmmm, let the others focus on that kid. Right now, you need to get stronger," Maria said. "Come on. I got us some of that chicken sandwich the entirety of Sanus has been raving about."

* * *

**Beacon**

* * *

Pyrrha sat in her dorm, brushing her hair. She took a few strands of her hair and sighed.

_Is my hair too long?_ She thought as she eyed the red strands that were on her fingers. She frowned as she stared at it.

_Does Jaune like girls with long or short hair? Wait, he liked Weiss so that means he likes girls with long hair but does he like her hairstyle specifically? UGGGHHH! Calm down, Nikos! Jaune is yours!_ Pyrrha thought as she slammed her fist down on the dresser.

"What's wrong Pyrrha?" Alice asked, looking up from her X-Ray and Vav comic.

"Nothing… just… should I cut my hair?" Pyrrha asked. Alice blinked while Ren and Nora both looked up from what they were doing to look at their leader, slack-jawed.

"WHY!?" Nora asked. "Your hair is your best feature!"

"Nora aside, it's kind of sudden. If I recall, you're rather fond of your hair. Not Yang level but enough to not let anyone other than Jaune touch it," Ren said.

"It's just that… I want to try something new," Pyrrha said. Alice eyed her curiously before walking over to her bedside table and pulling out a pair of scissors.

"So, how short do you want it?" Alice asked.

"Wait! No, not yet. I was just thinking of cutting it! I never made any plans to actually cut it!" Pyrrha exclaimed, waving her hands defensively.

"Okay, but just know that these are here for you to use," Alice said, placing the scissors back inside her bedside table.

* * *

**Kinrin, 7:45 AM**

* * *

"HAAAH!" Jaune lunged for Maria's cane, his arm held out in an attempt to grab her cane. She sidestepped, making Jaune eat dirt as he landed face-first on the ground.

Jaune held his hand out as an aura arm shot towards Maria. She swung her cane, batting the arm aside and jumped back as Jaune lunged again in a feeble attempt to disarm her.

"Come on! You're closer this time!" Maria said as she twirled her cane.

_Damnit! I'll need to stratergize to pull this off_, Jaune thought. _That's it!_

Jaune closed his eyes and readied his Semblance for the right moment. He dug his heel into the ground and took off towards Maria. He threw a jab towards her, forcing her to dodge left. He brought his foot up to strike her side.

Maria, without looking, used her cane to deflect Jaune's kick. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw her block without looking. He gritted his teeth as he sent another punch towards her.

She dodged and thrust her cane, striking Jaune in the abdomen. Jaune staggered back, gripping the center of his stomach as he looked at Maria with weary eyes. They had been here for three hours and while he had gotten closer, he was nowhere near close to even grabbing the cane from her hand.

Jaune eyed her carefully before taking off in a run towards her. Surprised by his action, Maria stood there and barely dodged when Jaune brought his foot up to kick her cane away from her.

Jaune smirked as he rapidly brought his hand underneath her arm and smacked it upwards, forcing her to let go of the cane. The cane flew into the air and Jaune stretched his arm out and sent an aura arm to grab her cane.

He looked down at a dumbfounded Maria while twirling her walking stick.

Maria smiled before laughing.

"HAHAHA! I didn't expect you to come running at me. You usually take your time to analyze my movements," Maria said as she skillfully took her cane back from Jaune.

"Well, I was in 'fuck it' mode and just decided to run at you like a lunatic," Jaune said.

"Hehe, good job kid. Now, let's continue training your scythe skills," Maria said.

Jaune nodded and grabbed Sol and Luna and transformed them into the dual kamas.

"Like I said, your warm ups should have gotten your arms ready for this. Do you remember what I said about fighting with scythes?" Maria said.

"It's about technique. The use of the blades to slash, grab, and disarm," Jaune said.

"Good. Now, hmmm, you can't really practice against a live opponent so I want you to go through these katas," Maria said. "I'll demonstrate."

"Are you sure your arthritis won't get in the way old lad- OW!" Jaune yelped as he gripped his knee.

"First off, rude! Second, pay attention," Maria said. She took Sol and Luna from Jaune and began going through the motions. She moved with precision, swinging each blade as easily as she breathed.

"So like that?" Jaune asked as he took Sol and Luna back from her.

"Yes like that. Before I forget, I had Mae set up some targets for you to practice your firearm with. Don't need a case of friendly fire," Maria said.

"...," Jaune looked at her blankly before beginning his katas.

As he moved, he heard Maria yell.

"Loosen up!" she yelled.

Jaune nodded and inhaled, relaxing slightly. He began going through the motions once more and this time, he heard Maria hum in approval.

"Good. You're more fluid this time in your motion. Remember. Don't be stiff in a fight. Your movements become too rigid that way," Maria said. "Keep going."

After a few hours of repeatedly doing the same katas, Jaune placed his kamas down, panting as he caught his breath.

"I guess that's good for now. We'll repeat this later. Right now, work on your semblance," she said.

Jaune grunted in agreement as he began the repetitive process of summoning his aura.

"Today, I want you to try something new. Your sister said that she can summon wings with her aura. Maybe you can do that as well. Who knows maybe you can fly," Maria said.

"You know that I get airsick right?" Jaune asked.

"Kid, there's a difference between sitting in a vehicle that someone else is driving and driving the vehicle yourself. Think of it this way. If you can fly, you'll never have to get on another airbus or bullhead ever again," Maria said.

Jaune nodded as he began to shape his aura.

_Wings. Wings. Wings. What kind of wings should I make? Bat wings? Bird wings? Insect wings?_ Jaune thought as his aura responded. He closed his eyes and tried to envision what his wings should look like.

Maria watched with apt interest as Jaune's aura spasmed and molded, as two large tattered draconic wings began to take shape. The wings grew larger and larger until they were at full size. The wings spread fully, casting a shadow around Jaune.

Jaune opened his eyes and looked at Maria.

"Did it work?" he asked.

"It did," Maria said. "I guess that it should have. You've been able to shape your aura into various shapes for a few weeks now. Wings shouldn't have been too difficult. Now comes the real test. Climb to the top of that tree and jump off."

Jaune gulped as he walked over to a tree.

"Ah ah ah! That one!" Maria said, pointing to the tallest pine in the clearing. Jaune blanched as he saw its height.

"Are you crazy!? If this doesn't work, I'll get seriously hurt!" Jaune protested.

"You won't. You have aura and even if, just use your aura arms or something ad grab on to a branch to stop your fall," she said.

Jaune sighed as he formed several aura arms and began to scale the tree. As he made his way up, he began muttering about crazy, senile elderly women and their death schemes. Once he deemed that he was high enough, he shaped his aura into wings once more and looked down.

He paled when the ground below him began to sway.

"Oh dear Mikhael!" Jaune said as he clung to the branch for dear life.

"DO A FLIP!" Maria yelled.

"FUCK YOU!" Jaune said.

"JUST JUMP!"

Jaune closed his eyes before resigning himself to his fate. He stood on the branch and jumped off. As he plummeted to the ground, he flapped his wings desperately in an attempt to gain some air. He opened his eyes and saw that the ground was getting closer and in a fit of panic, shot several aura arms and grabbed a branch, halting his descent.

"It was a decent first try!" Maria said from the ground.

"First try?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah do it again!" she yelled.

"What!? I almost died!" Jaune yelled.

"You wouldn't you pussy! Just do it!"

Jaune groaned as he made his way back to the top of the tree.

* * *

The SDC Mines were something of a sight to behold. Massive machines moved around, cutting the dust crystals of all kinds into smaller sizes so that they could be shipped out to be refined. Workers moved about, working to meet the quota that they had to meet each time they came here.

A man wearing a dark grey uniform looked out over the mining operation while he sipped some coffee. He smiled as he watched one of the soldiers kick a faunus miner while they were down. His blue eyes shifted to another sight. More faunus bringing in loads and loads of dust crystals. He could almost see the loads of lien that the SDC would pay him as well as the money he would make on the side, selling these dust crystals to the black market.

"Um, sir?"

The man turned around and saw a guard walk in with a scroll in hand.

"What is it?" he asked.

"President Schnee is asking us when our next expected dust shipment is," he said.

"Tell him that we are nearly finished loading all the unrefined dust onto Bullheads and that we will begin our shipment to Mantle shortly," he said.

"I'll make sure to tell him imme-!" the two looked outside the window as a massive explosion shook the entire building. The foreman ran to the window and his eyes widened when he saw several explosions occur across the mine.

"Sir!" he picked up his walkie.

"WHAT!?" he yelled.

"Sir, the explosions have taken out most of our transportation. We think that it's the White Fa- ACK!" the line cut off.

The foreman slammed his fist down on his desk.

"Secure the dust! At all costs! I don't care what you do!" the foreman yelled to the guard. The guard nodded and ran outside his office.

However, before the guard could make it further than the stairs, a red blade jutted out of his chest. The guard's eyes widened as the blade was pulled out of his chest. He fell to the ground, gurgling on his blood. His eyes looked up in fear when he saw the masked face of the individual that stood above him.

"Adam… Tau...rus," he gasped out as the life left his body.

Adam looked down at the corpse in disgust before walking over to the door. Behind him, two White Fang members followed him, spitting on the man's corpse as they passed by. Adam glanced back at the two and motioned for them to guard the door.

Adam walked over and opened it.

"Well? Did you tell them?" the foreman asked when he heard the door open. The foreman turned around and his mouth opened in shock when he saw who was standing at the door.

"A- Adam Taurus," he said, backing away. His heart dropped when his back hit his desk.

"Ao Kurogami," Adam said as he closed the door and locked it. He began walking to the man, his killing intent growing, making his presence more intimidating. Adam's blue eyes glowed behind his visor, making him appear as an angel of death.

"You have been charged by the faunus of this town of raping several female faunus, the murder, and torture of your workers in the mines, as well as being an outspoken spokesperson for the denial of faunus rights. Do you know why I'm here?" Adam asked as he let his arms fall to his side.

"Um, to kill me?" Ao stuttered. His hand slowly made its way to the gun, hidden under his desk.

"Not just to kill you but to take back this town in the name of the Faunus living here," Adam said.

"Huh, yeah… I'll give you the town. I swear! Just let me go!" Ao begged. His heart leaped for joy when his hand grasped the grip of his pistol.

"Oh, you will give me the town," Adam said. In a flash, Adam drew his blade and severed the arms of Ao, causing him to scream in pain.

Ao fell to his knees, writhing as blood poured from the stumps where his arms used to be. Adam walked over and slammed his foot on the foreman's chest.

"No! No! No! Please don't kill me!" Ao yelled as he struggled uselessly against Adam's boot. "It was all Jacques Schnee! He told me to do this! If you let me go, I'll tell you where he is! Even his bitch daughter is too! Fuck the Schnees I tell you!"

Adam looked down at the raving man with nothing but utter disgust on his face. He raised his blade as he stared at the Ao's mad eyes.

"That is a stupid fucking idea," Adam said as he stabbed the blade through his throat.

Ao's horrified face was like a drug to Adam as the man started to fight back harder. His blood stained the floor red as it flowed like a river from the open wound in his throat. It wasn't long before Ao ceased his futile endeavors at trying to free himself and finally died.

"Load all the dust into the trucks," Adam said as he walked out of the office.

"Yessir, though what will you do?" one of the faunus asked.

"I'm going into the mines to get any faunus out of there," Adam said.

The two faunus nodded and took off to perform the tasks assigned to them.

* * *

Jaune and Maria walked into town to notice that everything was in chaos. Soldiers affiliated with the SDC were running, shooting at the faunus in grimm masks that were firing at them. People lay dead on the streets of Kinrin as buildings burned around them.

"Mae," Jaune said as he took off running towards the Inn.

"Hey, kid! Wait!" Maria said as Jaune ran off.

Jaune ducked out of the way of gunfire as he ran down the streets.

"For the White Fang!" Jaune turned and saw a White Fang Faunus running at him with a sword in hand. Jaune sidestepped the Fang Member's attack and jumped back. He reached towards Sol and Luna and drew it, converting them to their sword form. The scythes merged, forming a scimitar.

Jaune blocked the sword and kicked the man back. He willed his aura to form arms and sent them towards the Faunus. The faunus was knocked back as one of the arms slammed into his shoulder, sending him crashing into a car.

Jaune wasted no time in using this opportunity to keep running towards the Inn. He saw a large cloud of smoke at the intersection and turned. His eyes widened at the sight that he was met with.

"MAE!" Jaune screamed as he watched the Inn go up in flames.

"Jaune!"

Jaune turned and saw Bruno running towards him. Jaune felt his heart relax when he saw an unconscious Mae in his arms. On top of his head was Nyx who barked happily when she saw Jaune.

"Mae!" Jaune ran over and took her from him. He sighed in relief. She was breathing but barely. He looked down and saw slight burns on her arms and legs. Her tail was slightly signed alongside with portions of her hair.

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

Bruno shook his head in anger.

"The White Fang. They decided to attack the mines! People are making their way over there to try and evacuate the workers. The SDC is fighting back and shooting down any faunus trying to make their way to the mines," Bruno said.

"Where are the huntsman?" Jaune asked.

"There are no huntsman here," Bruno said.

"What? I saw some a few days ago!" Jaune said.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble but they must have left sometime over the past few days," Bruno said.

Jaune gritted his teeth as he saw a cloud of smoke rise off in the distance.

"That was from the mines!" Bruno said.

"Take Mae and get her to safety! And if you see an old lady with mechanical eyes and a cane, grab her too!" Jaune said as he drew Sol and Luna.

"What about you?" Bruno asked.

"I'm heading down to the mines to get as many people out as I can," Jaune said.

"What!? Are you crazy? You'll die!" Bruno said.

"Yeah, but I won't be able to live with myself if I abandon those people now," Jaune said as he took off running.

* * *

The SDC Mines were a warzone. Explosions and gunfire could be heard as several faunus workers ran for their lives, screaming in fear. Jaune ran past several workers and slid down for cover as a hail of gunfire came his way. Nyx popped her head out of Jaune's hoodie and barked. He looked down at her in surprise but decided to just let her stay.

"You know. Now would be a good time for you to become big again," Jaune said as he peeked out from his cover. He pressed the pressure mechanism on his gloves and aimed at one of the Fang Members, who was busy firing at one of the SDC personnel.

Jaune fired several shots, hitting the distracted Fang member from behind. Jaune ran from cover and made his way to a collapsed drilling unit and ducked behind it. Jaune looked around the side and saw several faunus running out of the mines while White Fang members exchanged fire with the SDC personnel.

"I have to get into that mineshaft but how… and it won't be long before the Grimm get… that's it!" Jaune said. Nyx looked at him and tilted her head.

"We can use the grimm to help get the faunus out!" Jaune said. "They can distract the White Fang and the SDC while you and I go in and rescue them," he said to the Beowolf pup.

"And speak of the devil," Jaune said as he spotted several Nevermore in the sky. The nevermore began to dive down and fire feathers at both the SDC and the White Fang as well as the Faunus miners.

"We need to stop them from attacking the workers," Jaune said. "Time to see how far my powers can reach."

Jaune focused his attention on the Nevermore flock that was harassing the White Fang and the SDC. His eyes glowed violet as he attempted to try and reach out to them and form a connection like the one he had with Nyx. The Nevermore all froze and looked in his direction. They immediately took off and flew towards him.

"Oh, crapbaskets," Jaune said as they landed around him.

The largest of the flock made its way to Jaune. Fearing for the worst, Jaune found himself pressed against the downed drilling unit. He began to reach for Sol and Luna when the lead Nevermore bowed its head towards him. Jaune blinked before reaching out and stroking its beak.

He looked around and saw that the SDC and White Fang members had resumed returning fire at each other. Jaune turned back to the Alpha Nevermore.

"I need you to attack them but don't attack anyone who isn't wearing a uniform with a snowflake on it or a black uniform with a grimm mask understand?" Jaune asked.

The nevermore tilted its head, confused at Jaune's words. He slapped his forehead.

Jaune pointed to the SDC and the White Fang.

"Only attack them okay?"

The nevermore looked between the belligerent groups before squawking to its flockmates. The nevermore flock took off and resumed their attacks on the SDC and the White Fang, this time avoiding the Faunus that were evacuating. Jaune smiled as he and Nyx snuck past the forces and into the mines.

As he entered, Jaune spotted a downed Faunus woman nursing her ankle. He immediately ran up to her and knelt next to her.

"Are you alright?" Jaune asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine I fell getting out," she said.

"Can you walk?" Jaune asked.

"I think I can," she said.

"Good. Now go. Get out of here," Jaune said as he let go of her.

"Wait! I think there are still some people in the mines. Please. Go help them," she said. Jaune nodded and waited for her to get to the entrance of the mines before making his way in deeper.

As he ran, Jaune felt something slam into his side. He gasped in pain as he hit the wall and slid down. His vision blurred as he saw a man wielding a red katana walking up to him. He wore a black long coat with black combat pants and boots. Jaune's eyes made its way to the emblem on the side of his uniform.

"White Fang," Jaune muttered. Nyx growled at the man as her crimson eyes glowed.

"So they sent a Hunstman to stop the rise of Faunus in this town," the man said, disgust present within his voice.

"Um, Mr. White Fang Guy, I'm not a Hunstman," Jaune said as he eyed the blade.

"Oh, then a Hunstman in Training then? You know what? I don't care," the man said. He raised his Katana and swung it at Jaune.

Jaune barely had time to react, rolling out of the way of the katana. He drew Sol and Luna and held it in a defensive position.

* * *

The SDC fell back as the White Fang advanced on their positions, however, the White Fang had to fall back due to the Nevermore onslaught.

"BLOW THE MINES!" one of the SDC guards said.

"What?" the other guard yelled as he returned fire at both the Nevermore and the White Fang.

"There's no point in this! Even if we lose, we can still take out Adam Taurus! He was spotted running in there earlier!" the SDC guard said.

His fellow guard sat down and pulled out a small grey cylinder. His hand fumbled for the pin at the top and pulled it. He eyed the entrance of the mine and saw a stockpile of dust by the entrance.

"FIRE IN THE FUCKING HOLE!" he screamed as he threw the cylinder.

* * *

Jaune panted as he fell to one knee. His aura was taking a beating, blocking this guy's attacks. He glared at the man, who was slowly making his way towards him.

As the man drew closer, the mines shook. Jaune's eyes widened when all the lights went off and a cloud of dust began to make its way towards them. The ceiling began to collapse.

On instinct, Jaune manifested his aura wings and shielded himself from the rubble. In front of him, the man looked up and swung his sword, slicing the rocks.

"Look out!" Jaune yelled.

The man turned around too late as a large piece of rubble hit him on the back, knocking him unconscious and pinning his leg.

"Shit!" Jaune willed an aura fist to manifest from his wing and shot it towards the rock, shattering it. He spread his wings and formed an aura arm and pulled the man towards him.

"This is a bad idea, Arc…," he muttered as the cave entrance collapsed in front of him, trapping him and the Faunus in the mines.

* * *

**Ho ho! Didn't expect that did you? Jaune is now trapped in the mines with Adam Taurus. Adam is a nice character to play around with. I feel like he was a good character in the show overall. Anyway, leave a review! What do you think will happen in the next chapter when Adam boy wakes up! Leave a favorite. Follow.! All that good stuff and remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!~**


	10. Arc 2: Trapped

**Alright, new chapter. I have decided what Mae's Semblance will be. I'll reveal it in the next chapter because I still need to work out some other applications for it. That's it I believe.**

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**SDC Mines**

* * *

Jaune groaned as he sat up, coughing. His entire body was covered with ash and dust as his eyes struggled to adjust in the inky darkness of the collapsed mine. He fumbled around for his weapon or something he could use as a light source when he heard a groan of pain next to him. His body reacted on instinct and formed a glowing blade made of pure aura. His eyes adjusted to the sudden glow of light and he saw the groaning form of the Bull Faunus. Jaune sighed in relief. He was alive at least.

As Jaune leaned against a rock to catch his breath, he felt movement within his hoodie and looked down. He saw Nyx's head pop out of the top of his hoodie. The Grimm pup climbed out and shook her entire body, getting the dust off. She let out a cute sneeze as she sat on her haunches and looked at Jaune, her tongue sticking out.

"Hey, girl! I almost forgot about you," Jaune said as he released the aura sphere he had been using for light, causing it to float next to him. He picked up Nyx and began to stroke her soft fur as his blue eyes traveled across the entire cavern.

"We're not getting out the way we came any time soon," Jaune said. He pulled out his scroll and let out a breath of disappointment when he saw it.

_No signal._

His eyes reluctantly drifted towards the tunnel that led deeper into the mines. "Deeper it is."

As he grabbed his scythes and stood, he heard the slight breaths of the bull faunus. He looked back at him. The faunus's visor was broken and a streak of blood trickled from a wound on his forehead and onto the cave floor. Jaune saw the man's foot was bent awkwardly, meaning his ankle was either broken or twisted. The man's katana lay in pieces on the floor.

Nyx growled at the bull faunus as Jaune approached him. She barked frantically at him as he reached down to grab the body.

"We can't just leave him here. It's not right," Jaune said.

Nyx barked once more, hopping off her master's shoulder and biting on his pant leg.

"Nyx, we can't leave him," Jaune said firmly.

Nyx whined as she tried to tug on Jaune's leg. However, her pleas went undeterred as Jaune slung the man's arm over his shoulder and helping him to his feet. He manifested several aura arms to support the man as he began to walk.

"I really hope we don't run into anything down there," Jaune said as he moved forward.

Nyx sniffed the air then whined, hopping up to Jaune's shoulder.

"Yeah, me too," Jaune said.

Jaune formed an aura ball and let it float in front of him. With one hand wrapped tightly around his scythes in their sword form, Jaune made his way deeper into the mines.

* * *

**Kinrin**

* * *

"Okay, okay, round them up!" a man in white uniform said as members of the White Fang were being loaded onto prison trucks.

"You humans and your arrogance. You'll get what's coming to you!" a deer faunus said as she was loaded onto the truck.

"Yeah, yeah, tell that to the judge," the officer said. The sounds of engines approaching caught the officer's attention as he looked towards the air.

A small fleet of bullheads approached the town from the north could be seen.

"Give me a pair of binoculars," the officer said to one of the soldiers. The soldier nodded and placed a pair in the officer's hand. He looked through them and saw an emblem that resembled a spear in the middle of a shield on the aircraft. His eyes widened as he took off the binoculars and shoved them into his subordinate's arms.

"Get them ready! Reinforcements from Atlas are here!" the officer yelled. The troops scrambled to load in all the faunus perpetrators as the bullheads began to land in the middle of the now-empty warzone.

The largest one, which the officer assumed was the head, opened its doors. The clacking of boots could be heard as a woman with white hair stepped out. A bang framed the right side of her face while the rest of her hair was styled in a bun. A rapier-cutlass hybrid lay in its sheathe, strapped to her waist as she walked out onto the mine, or what was left of it.

"Shit is that…?" one of the soldiers said.

"No fucking way!"

"It is her! See, I told you!"

Her icy gaze set its sights on the surviving soldiers, sending an icy wind washing over them. Chills ran down their spines as she stood there, an imposing aura being emitted from her like an imposing queen.

"S- Specialist Schnee! We did not know that General Ironwood would send you to here of all places! We were expecting more people from the SDC!" the officer said, attempting to put on a face.

"Officer, my father is a businessman. Not a general and thus, he has no experience in military affairs. It was in the Council's best interest to send me after receiving word that one of our biggest dust mines was attacked by the White Fang," Winter said, her words cut sharply through the man's bravado.

"Well, we have this all handle-"

"Do you know? Does collapsing the entire mine and losing several billion lien worth of dust that we could use to power Mantle and Atlas sound like handling it?" Winter asked as she glanced at the collapsed mine entrance.

"R- Rest assured Specialist Schnee! We will have the mine cleared out and normal operations going by the end of this week," the officer said.

"Yes, I believe so. You… You surprise me, Officer," Winter said, staring at the damaged equipment.

"Oh really? Thank you, Ma'am! I've… um never been praised by a Hunter of Atlas. I've been a very big fan of your work so you prai-!"

"I have never been so surprised at how utterly disgraceful you handled this situation. Officer, as of right now, I am assuming temporary command of this mine. This mine is now government property," Winter said.

"W- Wait! You can't do that! Mr. Schnee owns the -EEK!" the officer's eyes trailed down as a thin blade of ice embedded itself into the concrete all the way to its hilt.

"I don't care what that man says. Right now, he can't do anything so you will listen to me. Are. We. Clear?" Winter said, his eyes boring into the man's very soul.

"Y- Yes, Specialist Schnee!" the officer squeaked.

"Good, now begin clearing out the mine's entrance," Winter said.

"YES MA'AM!" the soldiers from both the SDC and Atlas immediately got to work as Winter watched. Her vigil over them was broken when her scroll started to go off. She took her scroll out of her pocket and smiled upon seeing the Caller ID.

_Vert Arc_

She swiped to answer her call.

"Hello?" Winter said.

"_Hey, Winter! Um, I know that this is weird but I just arrived in town for a book signing that I had scheduled here and everyone seems to be in mass panic. There are bodies on the street and I just saw your bullhead land… is there a chance that we can meet up so I know what the hell is going on?_" Vert's voice said from her scroll.

"Um, sure? Just let me leave someone in charge okay?" Winter said. She placed her hand on the muted her voice. "YOU OVER THERE WITH THE _MY SMALL EQUINE_ TATTOO! YES, YOU! COME HERE!"

The soldier in question ran over to Winter and saluted.

"Um, yes Ma'am?" the soldier asked.

"You're in charge. I was just contacted and I need to meet up with someone in town," Winter said.

"Um, of course, Ma'am! It would be an honor!" he said.

"Good," Winter said as she walked away, following the path out of the mines and to Kinrin.

* * *

"That's it, Arc! One step at a time!" Jaune chanted to himself as he walked deeper and deeper into the mine. He had often sent Nyx ahead to scout as she could always make her way back to him via scent but he had no such trait. So far, Jaune had taken three lefts and two rights at every fork.

"I think we're doing well!" Jaune said, grinning at Nyx. "Air's getting a little thin heavy though."

Nyx tilted her head in a confused manner and continued to walk. As the two walked, Jaune felt a sharp pain in his back that forced him to drop the bull faunus. He felt a force slam into his chest and fell on his back.

"What?" Jaune looked up and saw a glove covered fist slam into his face.

Nyx roared and pounced on the bull faunus, sinking her teeth into his already injured leg. The faunus cried out in pain as he rolled off Jaune. With blurring vision, he looked at Nyx, who kept her maw around his injured foot and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. With all of his strength, he tore off the Beowolf pup and threw her against the wall.

When he turned around, a violet hand grabbed him and pinned him to a wall. A blade was pressed up against his throat as the flaming violet eyes of its owner glared into his very soul.

"Now," Jaune said as he applied slightly more force on the man's throat. "Let's just calm down."

The faunus glared at him before nodding begrudgingly. Jaune slightly loosened his grip around the faunus but did not let him go for the anticipation of another attack.

"Who are you?" Jaune asked,

"I don't have to tell you anything, human," the faunus said.

"I'm being nice here. I could have left you back there to die but didn't. The least you can do to show that you're grateful is to tell me your name," Jaune said.

The faunus looked slightly shocked at his statement but it faded quickly as the glare came back. He snarled before muttering the name.

"What?" Jaune asked.

"Adam. My name is Adam," he said.

"See, that wasn't so hard. We can get along for the time being. Name's Jaune by the way," Jaune said.

"Where are we?" Adam asked.

"We're in the mines. The SDC blew the entrance and trapped both of us in here," Jaune said.

Adam growled at the mention of the name.

"Yeah, I don't like them either," Jaune said as he let Adam drop to the ground.

"So why are you in here?" Adam said as he rubbed his sore arm. His entire body was on high alert as his gaze traveled to Nyx, who bared her fangs and snarled at him.

"Helping people. Saving them. The family business and whatnot. I was just helping the miners get out of here until you showed up," Jaune said.

"Typical human. Can't let your livestock and beasts of burden die," Adam said, looking at Jaune in disgust.

"Not everyone is like that you know," Jaune said as he held his hand out to help Adam to his feet. Adam slapped his hand and struggled to stand. Pain coursed through him, forcing him to fall.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asked as he held his hand out again.

"I have a fucking broken ankle," Adam said as he begrudgingly grabbed Jaune's hand. Jaune helped him to his feet and supported him.

"Yeah, sorry," Jaune said as he looked at Adam.

"Let's just get out of here. The more I spend time with a disgusting human like you, the more I feel like I'll vomit," Adam said.

"Yeah, you're welcome," Jaune said as they walked. Nyx walked next to them, her scarlet eyes never leaving Adam's form. Adam glared at the grimm pup as they walked, his blue eyes brimming with hatred for both Jaune and Nyx.

Jaune held out his hand and conjured another ball of violet light, lighting up the darkness. The three made their way further into the mines. Abandoned pieces of equipment littered the tunnels while large crystals of dust that gave off faint traces of light.

"Nyx," Jaune said as they came to another fork in the mine. Nyx barked in response and ran down one of the tunnels.

As Adam and Jaune waited, Jaune tried to initiate small talk with the bull Faunus that he was supporting.

"So," Jaune said. "Where are you from?"

"None of your business," Adam said.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Jaune asked.

"I… don't want to talk about it," Adam said.

"Did humans do it to you?" Jaune asked tentatively.

Adam remained silent and Jaune took his silence as a yes. He sighed. The two were not the greatest when it came to small talk. But it wasn't like Jaune could blame the man, he was forced to swallow his pride to accept his help.

"Why are you helping me?" Adam asked.

"I already said why," Jaune said.

Adam remained silent for a few seconds before speaking up. "You didn't. You told me why you were down here… not why you saved me or why you saved the faunus. Humans would never do anything for a faunus," Adam said. "To you, my race is nothing more than second class citizens and slaves."

"Not all humans are like that," Jaune said once more.

"Yeah, I heard you the first time but… that's all just a sad lie humans like to tell themselves," Adam said. The sound of barking made the two look towards the tunnel where Nyx came bounding back to them. She barked several times as she arrived.

"Dead end?" Jaune asked.

Nyx barked.

"Looks like we're going that way then," Jaune said as he began to direct Adam to the tunnel to the right.

"I've never seen a hunter with a dog as a partner before," Adam said as he looked at Nyx.

"Yeah, I adopted her," Jaune said. As the three continued their walk, the less equipment they saw. It seems like people didn't make their way down this tunnel. Dust crystals began to appear in larger quantities than ever. A growl echoed suddenly throughout the tunnels, forcing Jaune to go on guard. His hand made its way to Sol and Luna as he began to look for the source of the noise.

"Do you have food?"

Jaune and Nyx turned to Adam, who was clutching his stomach with his other arm. Jaune sighed in relief as he made his way towards the tunnel wall. He set Adam down and began to dig through his jacket pockets. His eyes lit up when he pulled out two tangerines. He handed one to Adam, who silently took it and began to peel the fruit. Jaune sat next to him and began to eat, placing Sol and Luna next to him. The entire time he ate, he noticed that Adam had been eyeing his weapon closely.

Nyx's whining caught Jaune's attention as his eyes drifted over to her. She was looking between him and his tangerine, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She barked and Jaune chuckled, tearing off a piece and throwing it to her. Nyx jumped up and caught the piece in her mouth, tearing it apart and swallowing it.

As Jaune was busy feeding Nyx, Adam took this opportunity. He lunged for Sol and Luna, hoping to use the weapon to rid himself of Jaune. Unfortunately for him, Nyx roared and Jaune quickly turned and summoned an aura tendril that knocked Adam back into the wall. The faunus groaned as his vision swam. He had hit his head in the process.

"That was a stupid move," Jaune said as he leveled Sol and Luna in their sword form at Adam. The faunus glared at him as Jaune kept the blade pointed at his head.

"Well?" Adam said. "What are you waiting for!? Kill me!"

Jaune was taken aback by his words and his grip on Sol and Luna loosened. His arm wavered as he tried to keep the blade pointed at Adam.

"You can't even do it… you're a coward," Adam sneered. Jaune glared and sent an aura blade at Adam, embedding it into the wall next to his head. Adam looked with wide eyes at the blade that had just nearly impaled him through the head and saw the furious eyes of Jaune boring into his soul.

"I have tried to be nice to you while we worked together to get out of here but now I see that it was a stupid choice. From now on, you'll be bound so we can keep a closer eye on you," Jaune said as he formed an aura chain and willed it to wrap around Adam. The bull faunus struggled as the chains grew tighter and tighter with each passing loop. Adam growled at Jaune as Jaune willed the chains to levitate in response to his will, carrying Adam into the air.

"Come on," Jaune said to Nyx as he began to walk.

* * *

**Kinrin**

* * *

Maria waited alongside as she sat on a chair next to Mae. A bear faunus, whose face bore some resemblance to the faunus that Jaune had saved on their first day here, had burst into the medical facility carrying the young fox faunus. When she asked him where Jaune was, he said that he had run off to the mines to try and get as many of the faunus workers out. Maria sighed. That boy was going to be the death of her.

"Ugh."

Maria looked down and saw Mae had begun to stir in the bed. Mae slowly opened her golden eyes, her eyelids fluttering as she drew in a heavy breath. The young girl slowly sat up, feeling the wires that were attached to her.

"Hey, hey!" a voice said from her right. She turned and saw Maria looking at her with a worried gaze. "Lay back down. You were hurt pretty bad."

Mae nodded and laid back down. She looked around the room and noticed the lack of Jaune and Nyx's presence.

"Where's Jaune?" Mae asked, looking at her other guardian.

"Jaune… he's," Maria began. "He went off to the mines to try and save as many faunus as he could. I haven't heard from him in a couple of hours. Just try and get some rest. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Mae nodded and went back to sleep or at least tried to. Fear and worry gripped the young faunus's heart. Worry for Jaune. She had become attached to the young hunter in training. He was kind to her and never judged her for her extra features that even her fellow faunus discriminated against her for. He had defended her like an older sibling did their younger ones. He treated her like she was his family and in a way, Mae viewed him as a member of her family, alongside Maria. She gripped her sheets tightly as she tried to force herself to sleep.

"Please be safe Jaune," the young girl whispered as sleep was finally granted to her.

Winter walked through the town and arrived at one of the only buildings that wasn't burned or riddled with bullet holes. Opening the door, she walked inside and saw several people there, some injured, some perfectly fine. The food staff were all working frantically to make as much food as possible for the injured and the people assisting them. Her arrival had frozen the entire establishment as the citizens, faunus and human alike, all turned to look at her. Her blue eyes gazed out upon the sea of faces and she had spotted who she was looking for. Seated at the back corner was a head of familiar blonde hair.

Winter made her way across the restaurant, ignoring the glares that some of the faunus had sent her. She didn't care. She was used to it. A perk that came with her family name. Even the faunus that had worked for the Atlesian Military glared at her sometimes. It was one of the many things that made Winter regret ever being born a Schnee. That, her father, and a lack of friends save for the woman who she took a seat across from.

Vert Arc. The second daughter of the Arc Family and the older sister of the now-deceased Jaune Arc. She sat there, wearing a green coat and a white blouse with a tan skirt. A serene smile that usually present on her face was no longer there. Instead, her face was marred with a frown and worry swam within the sapphire pools that were her eyes.

"Vert," Winter said, tapping the table to catch her attention.

"Huh? Oh, Winter, you're here," Vert said, smiling. "I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind."

"Uh-huh," Winter said as she leaned back in her seat. "What did you call me here for? I was busy, dealing with a debacle back at the mines."

"Um, that's actually why I called you here," Vert said. "I, um, need to tell you something."

Winter quirked an eyebrow at her best friend's nervousness. A waiter appeared by their table and whipped out a notepad. "Um, may I take your orders?"

"One Cherry Pie for her and a coffee for me," Vert said, without looking at the waiter. The waiter nodded, taking their orders before walking away.

"I'm not that hungry Vert," Winter said.

"You're going to be here for a bit," Vert said, her eyes flashing yellow. Winter gulped. Despite Vert not being a hunter, her parents, unlike her younger siblings, had trained her and her older sister to defend themselves and thus, she had a fair grasp of how combat was as well as her semblance. But an accident with the Grimm had forced her parents to make her stop her training and Winter suspected that that was one of the reasons her siblings weren't trained like she was.

"Fine. What is it?" Winter asked.

"Do you remember the funeral that we had for my brother?" she asked.

"Yes, I was there. Then I had to leave because General Ironwood called me back to Atlas to break in some new hunters," Winter said.

"Well, he's not dead," Vert said.

"Vert, I know it's hard to lose someone you love but you can't keep denying the fact that he'-!"

Vert slammed her palms on the table and glared at her, green aura sending pulses of killing intent all over the eatery.

"He's not dead!" Vert hissed.

Winter shrank in her chair as her friend glared at her with all her fury.

"Okay, okay. He's not dead… but are you sure?" Winter asked hesitantly, trying not to piss Vert off any further.

Vert sighed and pulled out her scroll. She opened it and pointed to several calls from Jaune as well as several calls she made to him that he missed.

"He also came to the dorm room your mother and my family were staying at," Vert said.

"Wait… mom? She knows that he's alive too?" Winter asked.

"Yes," Vert said.

"Okay, okay… this is crazy but let's say I believe it," Winter said. "What do you want me to do? Track him down?"

"No, we know where he is because his girlfriend back at Beacon updates us on his location whenever they call each other which is every night. Adorable right? Maybe I can use that scene in the next installment of _Ninjas of Love_. Anyway, she said that she called Jaune because this ended up on the news," Vert said. "He wouldn't answer. She called my parents and mom called me since I was headed here for a book signing. She told me to call Jaune so I did and now he won't answer. At first, I thought he was sleeping or training but when we arrived in town and saw what was happening, my calls became more desperate and he still wouldn't answer. I was about to head down to the mines when I saw your Bullhead coming here. Thank Oum for that right?"

"Okay, okay. So you want me to look for Jaune down at the mines, right?" Winter asked.

Vert nodded in response to her friend's question.

"Um, Vert, the mines are collapsed. It'll take a few days to get all the rubble cleared out of the antechamber without bringing down the whole cave down," Winter said.

Vert's eyes widened at her answer.

"T- Then how about looking for other entrances? It's a cave right. It's bound to have other points of entry!" she said.

"Hmmm," Winter said, placing a hand on her chin.

"Please Winter! I can't lose him again! What would you do if it was Weiss or Whitley who was trapped down there?" Vert asked, tears pooling around her eyes as she begged her friend.

Winter sighed in defeat. Vert had a point. If the situation was reversed, she would be the one begging Vert to go and look for her siblings.

"Fine," Winter said. "I'll leave a majority of the troops I brought and have the rest look for Jaune. To be clear, I'm still looking for the same scrawny blonde right?"

"Yes," Vert said.

"That should make things easy," Winter said.

"Oh, Winter," Vert said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"One of the Faunus here said that they heard that Adam Taurus was in the mines when it collapsed. What if he's trapped down there with Jaune?" Vert asked.

"Then, I'll arrest him and keep him from killing your brother," Winter said. "Or kill Adam Taurus if he tries anything."

"Thanks, Winty," Vert said.

"Don't call me that," Winter said, her cheeks turning red.

"Aw, but I always call you Winty, Winty," Vert said.

"We're not kids anymore Vert! Or should I call you Greeny?" Winter said.

"Please do!" Vert said.

"You're impossible," Winter said.

"I know but you love me for it!" Vert replied cheekily. Winter blushed at her words and opted to turn her attention to her pie which had just arrived.

* * *

Jaune groaned as they walked further and further into the cave system. Yes, a cave system. He had realized that they had long since left the actual mining tunnels and stumbled upon a massive cave system. The lack of equipment and lighting were clues that he was no longer within the mines as well as the abundance of animals. Nyx had pounced on one of the bats that flew by and was currently carrying it in her mouth. Adam had ceased his struggles and went quiet, opting instead to glare holes into the back of Jaune's head.

On top of that, he had felt a presence a few hundred? Or was it a thousand? Anyway, Jaune had felt a presence a while back.

Keeping his hand wrapped tightly around Sol and Luna, Jaune kept an eye on his surroundings.

"When are we going to get out of here? At this rate, we'll reach Remnant's core before we even find a way out," Jaune said. As he lamented his luck and possible fate, he felt it. Air. His blue eyes grew wide with hope as he licked his dusty fingers and held it up. Lo and behold, there it was. A light breeze within the cavern.

"Nyx, I think we just found the way out," Jaune said. Nyx barked happily with the bat carcass still in her mouth. Jaune ran, stopping to check if the wind was still there. As he ran, the wind grew stronger and stronger until Jaune no longer had to raise his finger to detect the direction of where it was coming from. It was there. It was right in front of him.

"Come on! Come o-!"

A loud crashing noise echoed throughout the chamber as Jaune, Nyx, and Adam were blasted into a wall, sending dust and rubble everywhere. Jaune's Aura Chains dispersed as Adam found himself able to move. The pain in his ankle had ebbed to the point where he could walk without support. He looked at Jaune, who was struggling to get to his feet and to whatever had hit them. There in the shadows was a pair of massive red eyes. The cavern shook as whatever it was that had attacked them made its way to them.

Adam looked back at Jaune, who was looking at him for help and noticed that he was pinned under a boulder. A roar alerted him to how close the thing was and looked down at Jaune.

"If these circumstances were different, I would leave you but… I'm grateful to you for saving me despite you being human and me being faunus, thus I'm… honor-bound to at least help you out of this," Adam said as he limped towards the boulder and began to try and push him off. Jaune smiled at his actions and manifested his aura to help.

"Hurry!" Jaune said as his aura arms struggled to move the boulder.

"What do you think I'm doing human!" Adam said as he pressed his shoulder against the boulder.

"ARGH!" Jaune roared as he pushed with all his might. The boulder rolled off him and he was able to stand. He pulled out his scroll, which had miraculously survived and saw that a good chunk of his aura had been depleted. At least, 60% of it was gone.

"Shit," Jaune said underneath his breath as he watched their attacker get close.

"Okay, now what?" Adam asked. Nyx barked in agreement, for once finding the Faunus's question to be valid.

"Um, we run," Jaune said.

"I can't run," Adam said.

"Well, I'll help you," Jaune said.

A hissing screech broke through the tunnels as a massive serpentine grimm shot out from the shadows. The beast, like all Grimm, had bony features all over its body. Its back had a row of spiky bones running to its tail. Its head was surrounded by five skeletal protrusions that had a thin web of flesh that connected each spike. Its eyes were a blood-red while a massive black forked tongue slipped out of its mouth, tasting the air. A rattling noise could be heard as the serpent looked around.

"Shit," Adam whispered as he, Jaune, and Nyx hid behind some of the rubble.

"What is that thing?" Jaune asked.

"A Basilisk. We must have stumbled upon its nest," Adam said.

"Like those snakes that can kill people by looking at them?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, only these don't do that. These can breathe a paralyzing gas on their prey," Adam said.

"We have to get out of here," Jaune said.

"That thing probably knows we're here because of our scent," Adam said.

"Okay, what do we do then?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm," Adam said as he looked around. He picked up a rock and gripped it tightly in his hand. He turned to Jaune and Nyx, who were peeking over the rock, eyeing the legendary Grimm.

"Psst!" Adam said. The two turned around and looked at him.

"I'll throw this rock and while he's distracted. We make a run for it," Adam said.

"Okay, but why are you referring to it as he? What if it's a she?" Jaune asked.

"Are you seriously asking me if I'm assuming the snake's gender right now?" Adam asked.

"Yes?" Jaune answered.

"Whatever, on the count of three. One! Two! Three!" Adam said as he threw the stone. The stone impacted one of the stalagmites, catching the Basilisk's attention.

"Go!" Adam hissed as Jaune formed aura arms to grab both Adam and Nyx and began to make a beeline in the direction of the breeze.

"We're gonna make it!" Jaune said as he kept running. He looked back and his face paled when he saw that the Basilisk had spotted them. The Grimm roared and began to chase after them.

"Ah shit," Adam said as he saw the Grimm. Nyx whimpered as Jaune picked up the pace, running as fast as he could. He looked forward and saw a small light.

"There!" Jaune said, pointing. "I can see a tunnel entrance!"

"Then run faster!" Adam said. "That thing is gaining on us!"

Jaune nodded and increased his speed as hard as he could. The snake was gaining ground quickly as the hissing grew louder and louder. The mouth of the cave was almost upon them. The light of the sun was beginning to grow brighter and brighter the closer they got to the entrance. Suddenly, Jaune tripped on a rock and fell. His aura arms dispelled as they were sent forward, launching Nyx and Adam forward away from Jaune in the process.

Jaune groaned as he looked up and saw the Basilisk getting closer and closer. He turned to Adam, who looked between him and the exit.

"No! ADAM, HELP ME!" Jaune cried out. Adam closed his eyes and looked away.

"No," he simply said as he limped as fast as he could towards the exit. Nyx barked and yipped at Adam to come back but froze when she heard the basilisk's roar.

Jaune looked up at the crimson eyes of the massive serpentine grimm. Its maw was open, baring its thousands of curved fangs. Its saliva fell out of its mouth and onto Jaune and the cave floor. The saliva that hit Jaune felt like acid, as it began to burn through his body and aura.

Jaune gulped as he looked at the snake. He tried to reach for Sol and Luna and noticed they weren't there. His eyes darted frantically around the cave in the little light that the exit provided and saw them a ways away from him.

The basilisk roared and lunged with the full intent of eating Jaune alive. As it was about to close its jaws around Jaune, the head was knocked off course by Nyx, who had transformed back into her full Beowolf form. The basilisk's head crashed against the cavern wall. The beast hissed at Nyx while Nyx snarled back at it.

Jaune opened his eyes and saw Nyx, in her adult form. A violet glow surrounded his hands.

"Did I just…?" he asked as he looked at Nyx. Nyx barked happily and wagged her tail as she saw Jaune slowly stand.

The basilisk hissed and swung its tail at Nyx, sending her flying and crashing into a stalagmite.

"NYX!" Jaune screamed as she struggled to stand. A roar alerted him as he saw the Basilisk lunge at him again. He raised his arms in defense as his eyes glowed violet. The Basilisk halted mid-lunge as its eyes shimmered violet. It shook its head violently as its eyes kept glowing before pausing and looking at Jaune. The beast's eyes widened at what it saw, recognizing the power that came from him.

Jaune, sensing nothing, lowered his arms slightly and saw the Basilisk looking at him. The beast kept its eye on him as Jaune lowered his arms slowly.

"Are you not going to attack me?" Jaune asked.

The basilisk shook its head.

Jaune was confused. It responded? The only grimm that ever responded to Jaune's words in such a manner was Nyx. The rest simply didn't do anything or waited for his commands.

"Why?" Jaune asked.

"_Because you are Lord."_

Jaune jumped when he heard a female voice talk inside his head.

"Who said that?" Jaune asked, frantically looking around.

_Me_.

"Where are you?" Jaune said.

"_In front of you, Lord_."

Jaune's eyes widened slowly as he faced the Basilisk. Her head was lowered as if she was bowing to him.

"Why are you calling me Lord?" Jaune asked.

"_Because you are Lord"_, the Basilisk said.

"What does that even mean?" Jaune asked, as he slowly made his way towards his weapon.

"_I do not know, Lord,_" the Basilisk said.

"Will you let me leave?" Jaune asked. The Basilisk nodded.

"Then you may go," Jaune said, his eyes flashing purple. The Basilisk nodded and slithered back deeper into the cave.

"Let's go, Nyx. Before it changes its mind," Jaune said as he looked at the fully grown Grimm in front of him.

Nyx tilted her head and barked in response.

"Oh right," Jaune said. He focused, remembering what he felt when he saw his glowing hands. A violet light began to shimmer around his hand as he placed it upon Nyx's snout. The Grimm glowed brightly before returning to her cub form. Jaune reached down and picked her up, placing her in his hoodie and began to limp out of the cave. As he made it out, he spotted boot prints that he assumed were from Adam.

Jaune clenched his fist. The bastard abandoned him to face the Basilisk alone. If his powers hadn't activated on time, Jaune would have been eaten.

"I swear if I find that bastard, I'm going to beat his face in," Jaune muttered.

He pulled out his scroll and saw that he had one bar of signal. Deciding that it was better than nothing, Jaune opened it and called Maria.

* * *

**Reviews:**

**Right, so this will be a thing every now and then. **

**WearyCurmudgeon: I believe that cutting Pyrrha's hair to above her shoulder blades is a reasonable cut. I know some people don't want me to cut her hair but it is a detriment in combat since people can just grab it. Then again, team RWBY's hair has some sort of plot armor since people never grab it. But still, I will keep it long enough for Jaune to play with when they're together, which will be soon.**

**IHateGenericCereal: We'll just have to wait and see won't we? ;)**

**Patriot-112: Thank you. And Jaune doesn't know since Adam, in this chapter, considers that talking to humans unless necessary is beneath him.**

**Yes, Adam is an asshole. Even after Jaune saved him and gave him food, at the end, when there was a massive grimm that almost ate Jaune, Adam turned tail and ran, leaving Jaune to his fate. Honor-bound, my ass. Now, you might be wondering why the Basilisk didn't fall immediately to Jaune and obey him like the Taijitu and Nyx. This Grimm is old and won't fall to Jaune's natural aura. He has to use his powers to gain control of them otherwise, they'll treat him like any other hunter and try to kill him. This is for older Grimm only so for all of you who are hoping that during the Battle of Beacon that the Dragon Grimm just doesn't attack Jaune and treats him like a friend, yeah, no. Where would the fun be if that's all there was to it? And yes, older, more intelligent grimm are capable of conveying their thoughts to Jaune. It was something that I had planned since the beginning. Jaune being able to listen to the thoughts of Grimm as a form of communication because Jaune can understand Nyx just fine even if she just barks all the time. I guess that's it!**


	11. Arc 2: Transitions

**I don't own RWBY. RWBY is owned by RoosterTeeth. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"I'm so tired," Jaune said as he shuffled across the forest. It had been a few hours since he had escaped the mines and that bastard Adam Taurus had left him for dead at the hands of that basilisk. Jaune thanked his luck for having whatever affinity he had with the Grimm kicking in when he needed it to, otherwise, Jaune would have been Grimm chow.

Nyx barked from inside Jaune's hoodie as she licked his chin. Jaune looked down at her with tired blue eyes and smiled a little.

"Any chance you can turn big again like you did back in the cave?" Jaune asked. _I really need to figure out how I did that,_ he added as an afterthought.

Nyx tilted her head and barked.

"I thought so," Jaune said as he continued trudging through the forest. After several more minutes of walking, Jaune collapsed and crawled over to a tree and sat against it.

Nyx hopped out of his hoodie and began to whine.

"Don't worry… I just… need… to take a nap," Jaune said as he passed out. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was an Atlesian Airship landing in the forest and a woman with white hair running over to him.

* * *

"Have you found anything yet?" Winter asked as the pilot combed over the forests surrounding the town of Kinrin.

"No, ma'am. Nothing as of yet," the pilot said.

"Well, keep looking," Winter said.

"Yes, ma'am," the pilot replied.

This had been their fourth run within the past three hours and they had found nothing. The aura sensors weren't picking up anything and they were forced to rely on the infrared detectors in order to find Jaune. Winter sighed. If she failed, then Vert was going to go into that deep depression she went into when she first heard that Jaune died, which he apparently didn't.

"Specialist Schnee!"

Winter snapped out of her reverie when she heard the pilot call her name.

"We found something!" the pilot said. "It's faint but our aura scanners have picked up an aura signature down there in the woods!"

"Take us down!" Winter said.

"Yes ma'am!" the pilot said as he turned the bullhead around and flew over to the location of the signature. Upon arriving, the pilot lowered the bullhead down onto the forest floor and opened the door, allowing Winter to exit into the woods.

"Where did the scanners say that the aura signature was?" Winter asked as she placed her hand on her sword.

"Over there, a few meters over in that direction," the pilot said, pointing over to the east of them.

Winter took off, running to the east. She broke through the foliage and couldn't believe her eyes. There in front of her was the passed out form of the only son of the Arc family with a small black dog, tugging on his pant leg. Sensing her presence, the dog turned around and began to growl at Winter.

Winter looked down at the dog and smiled. She went out to touch it when she felt it. The cold air around the puppy. No aura. Winter's eyes widened as she recoiled her hand and went for her weapon.

_A grimm!_ _I going to have to… what the?_ Winter's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she saw what she assumed was a beowolf get in front of Jaune and guard him, snarling and growling.

_It's protecting him?_ Winter thought in confusion as she watched its strange actions. Not dropping her guard, Winter cautiously approached Jaune and without warning, thrust her sword towards his prone form. The beowolf reacted jumping in front of the blade's trajectory, surprising Winter and making her stop her attack.

"So you are protecting him? Question is… why?" Winter said, placing a hand on her chin.

"Specialist Schnee! We're coming over with a stretcher!" Winter heard a voice call out. Winter bit her lip and looked down at the Grimm.

"Look, in a few minutes, if you don't find a way to hide, you will be killed by my men so… come here," Winter said. _What am I doing talking to a Grimm like it can understand me…_, Winter thought.

To her surprise, the Grimm ran over and hopped up on her shoulder, albeit with some reluctance in its gait. Winter sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day.

_How the hell am I supposed to explain this to Vert?_ Winter thought as she looked at the pup.

"Um, Specialist Schnee? We have the stretcher," the pilot said with the copilot looking at her curiously.

"Picking up stray dogs?" the copilot asked.

"Yes, I figured that Weiss would adore this since her teammate was recently allowed a pet in their dorm room when I last spoke with her," Winter said, stroking the grimm's fur. The grimm on her shoulder stiffened at the contact but slowly relaxed.

"What's its name?" the copilot asked.

"Ummm... I haven't given it one yet but if I were to name it, I would call it… Kuro," Winter said. Upon hearing the name, the Grimm on her shoulder growled a little.

_So it doesn't like the name… what's next Saphron is pregnant with another child?_ Winter thought sarcastically.

"Er… right, we'll carry the boy back now," the pilot said.

Winter blinked at their sudden departure.

"Was it something I said?" Winter asked as she followed after them.

"No offense Specialist," the copilot said as they boarded the bullhead. "Naming things isn't really your forte."

"Never have I been so offended right now soldier by something… that I one-hundred percent agree with," Winter said as she slumped down on the floor of the bullhead, a cloud of depressing floating over her head.

The grimm bounded off Winter's soldier and hopped onto Jaune's chest and made itself at home. She looked over and saw a small smile forming on Jaune's face.

"You're warm… Nyx," Jaune said before falling back into a deep sleep.

"Nyx? I could have come up with a better name," Winter said, pouting.

* * *

**Kinrin**

* * *

"Mae," Maria said as the fox faunus walked down the street ahead of her. The little fox faunus's eyes were full of worry as she ran to find anyone that looked like Jaune. The hospital was forced to check her out early to make room for those injured in the White Fang attack, not that she needed to stay.

"I have to find Jaune! What if he got hurt!?" Mae said, her tail swishing rapidly from side to side while her ears twitched in anticipation.

"Jaune will be okay. He's a tough kid and besides," Maria said.

"What?" Mae asked.

"I trained him remember!" Maria said, flexing.

Mae looked at her blankly before calling out for Jaune again.

"Jaune! Jaune!" Mae called as she looked around the town.

"Mae?"

The two turned around and saw a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a green turtle neck sweater underneath a white jacket with a black skirt and black leggings with long brown boots. She had a relieved smile on her face as she looked at them and began to walk over to the two.

Mae and Maria were confused. Who was this woman and how did she know them?

"Um, I'm sorry but who are you?" Maria asked.

"Eh? It's me. Vert? We met back at Beacon when my brother attended his funeral," Vert said, reintroducing herself to the two.

"Oh that's right," Maria said. "I am getting old…"

"Did you see Jaune anywhere?" Mae asked, running over to her.

"No, not yet. I have a friend looking for him, you see," Vert said, squatting to her level. She placed her hand on the girl's hair and ruffled it. "Her name is Winty and she's the strongest Huntress ever!"

"Really? She's going to find Jaune!" Mae said, her tail wagging in excitement.

Vert felt her heart start to beat faster as she looked at the girl. Her wagging tail. Her twitching fox ears. That little fang she had. Why was this girl so damn cute?

"You're so cute!" Vert said, hugging Mae tightly, pressing her face between her large breasts. Mae struggled to breathe as she was being suffocated. Her mind was racing through all the ways she could escape her fleshy prison when her body reacted all on its own. Her tail began to glow brightly as another ethereal tail manifested itself behind her.

Noticing the light, Vert loosened her grip on Mae and the girl quickly jumped away. Vert and Maria blinked. There were… two of them?

"Mae?" Maria said as she looked between the two girls.

"Yes?" the two answered simultaneously.

"Fascinating," Vert said as she walked over to the two. "Is this your semblance?"

She walked over and touched both Mae's at once. Her eyes widened when she felt the physical sensation of touch coming from both of them.

"They're both corporeal," Vert said as she ran her hand through their hair.

"Interesting, most cloning or illusion semblances that I know of create intangible clones or illusions but hers, they're physical you say?" Maria said.

"It's impossible to tell them apart," Vert said.

"Not quite. You see her tail," Maria said, pointing to the tails of both Maes.

"Yes, what about them?"

"Only one of them has multiple tails," she said. Vert blinked and looked down at the fox faunus's tails. She was right. Only one of them had two tails. Vert watched with fascination as the glow around Mae's tail died down and her ethereal tail flickered out of existence. As soon as the second tail vanished, the second Mae disappeared as well.

"What an interesting semblance," Vert said as she caught the girl. Mae had fallen out of aura exhaustion but was still conscious. Vert looked up at the elderly woman.

"How long has she had her aura?" Vert asked.

"As long as I've known her," Maria said. "She's an orphan and she wasn't well-liked back where we used to live. As a Faunus with more than one animal feature, that made her a target for both humans and faunus that lived there. She was an outcast but the oddest thing that I saw was that her injuries recovered faster than others… that's when I realized that she had her aura unlocked. I don't know how or who did it but it's there."

"Why haven't you trained her like Jaune?" Vert asked as she carried Mae on her back.

"For the same reason that Jaune told me that your parents never trained him and his sister for most of their lives. To keep her out of this life," Maria said.

"Well, you can't keep her powerless forever. Her Semblance is awakening and…," Vert said, her bangs overshadowing her eyes.

"And?" Maria looked at the woman curiously.

"Why did she perceive me as a danger!?" Vert said, tears comically flowing down her face. Maria looked at her strangely before sighing. She looked away and continued to walk, not talking to the hysterically crying blonde next to her.

* * *

"_I see that you and your brother have made peace," a female voice said from behind Jaune._

_Brother? Jaune didn't have a brother?_

"_What are you talking abou…" Jaune's voice died down as he saw who stood behind him. She was mesmerizing. Her beauty was ethereal and divine. Her long luscious red hair, her emerald green eyes, her soft, pale skin. She had a beautiful figure that was neither too busty nor too flat but it was perfect. Perfect for any man to appreciate and lust over. Jaune gulped. The way this woman looked. It was as if she could stop the entire world just by walking. Entire nations would bow at her feet just so she would give them the time of day._

_But to Jaune, she looked like someone who he already gave his heart to and he felt it. A connection to this woman. Was this her? Was this his Pyrrha?_

"_What's wrong? Are you alright?" she asked as she walked over to him as she noticed his distressed face. Her ethereal eyes became pools of worry as she cupped his cheek._

"_Pyrrha?" Jaune asked._

"_Who's Pyrrha?" she asked suspiciously. "Have you been seeing someone behind my back?"_

_Suddenly, the dream faded as Jaune felt something bump his head._

* * *

Jaune groaned as his eyes slowly fluttered open. The light blinded him slightly as a few seconds passed slowly before his vision had adjusted. He blinked. The last thing he remembered was passing out underneath a tree so why was there a metal roof over him. He saw a lump of black fur lying on his chest and smiled.

"Nyxie," Jaune said softly. The Beowolf pup looked over at the sound of his voice and barked happily as she ran over and began to lick his face.

"Look at who's finally awake," a voice said from his right. Jaune turned his head and saw someone sitting on the chair across from the stretcher.

Winter looked down at Jaune with a small smile on her face. She brushed a stray curl out of the way as she stood and walked over to the Arc.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Winter asked.

Jaune blinked. Did he know this woman? She seemed slightly familiar as images of his sister running around with a girl with white hair came to his mind.

"Who are you?" Jaune asked.

Winter faceplanted as soon as she heard Jaune say those words. She looked at the Arc boy with exasperation and some irritation on her face.

"You don't remember me at all? The past Festival of Israfils? The girl with white hair?" Winter pressed. She knew that it had been a while but for him to forget his favorite person.

"Umm, can you give me another hint?" Jaune asked.

"Okay, Vert had a special nickname for her special friend," Winter said.

"Special friend?" Jaune said. He began to think. More memories came forth, this time of a woman with white hair accompanying a little girl with the same shade. Memories of him as a very young child playing with this girl and his sister. The few years that she had suddenly disappeared from their life, only to reappear years later when he and Alice had turned nine. There the memories were much clearer.

"_Come on squirt! Don't be so stuck up!" a white-haired teen called out to Jaune as he ran over to her and his older sister._

"_Winty, don't be so mean to him!"_

"WINTY! IS THAT Y- OW!" Jaune gripped his head in pain as Winter slammed her fist down as hard as she could on his skull. "What the hell was that for…?"

Jaune gulped when he saw the calm, angered look on Winter's face. Beside him, Nyx was shaking in fear and hid behind Jaune as he began to slowly back away from Winter.

"Don't call me Winty," Winter said.

"Where have you been all these years? You stopped showing up after we turned eleven," Jaune said.

"I was training to be a huntress," Winter said as she leaned back in her chair. Jaune reminded Winter of his sister in many ways. She felt relaxed. None of that stuck-up military crap that she had grown to hate even though Ironwood told her it was okay to be lax every once in a while.

"Really? I can see that," Jaune said as he sat up. His eyes furrowed the more he looked at her. She began to look like someone he had met before but couldn't place on where. He filed it away as something to figure out on a later date.

"Say… how did you survive? From what I learned while I was at Beacon for your funeral, you fell off a cliff after having been severely injured by Beowolves," Winter said.

"My aura saved me," Jaune said. "If it wasn't for my aura, I wouldn't have survived the fall."

"That's not possible," Winter said.

Jaune looked at her curiously. "What do you mean? It is possible to survive a fall off a cliff with aura. Ozpin launches us off them for initiation."

"Yes, I am very well aware of the headmaster's… eccentric method of testing new students but that is not possible," Winter said. "When you're launched, Ozpin tells you to devise a landing strategy yes? A way to halt your fall enough so that your aura doesn't end up tanking most of the damage or shattering upon impact?"

Jaune looked at her and nodded, showing that he understood.

"And from what I was aware of, you were in battle and was injured, correct?" Winter asked.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with how I survived?" Jaune asked.

"Well, for one, you should have bled out," Winter said.

Jaune felt the world around him stop. His eyes widened drastically as Winter's words slowly began to sink in. She was right. He should have bled out when he fell into the river. Hell, he should have frozen to death so how… just how did he survive? He looked down at his hands as he desperately tried to figure out the mystery of his survival.

"But you should count yourself lucky huh?" Winter said. Jaune looked at her.

"You did survive and make it back so don't think about it too hard. Just be glad that you made it," Winter said, clapping his shoulder.

Jaune smiled at her words.

"Yeah, I guess I should," Jaune said.

"By the way," Winter said, leaning into Jaune's ear. "How are you able to control grimm?" she whispered.

"Wh- What are you talking about?" Jaune stuttered. "Nyx isn't a grimm. She's a black labrador puppy!"

"Funny. I never mentioned that Nyx was a grimm," Winter said.

Jaune paled as soon as she said that. He internally cursed himself for falling right into her trap.

"So?"

"I think it's part of my semblance," Jaune said as he stroked Nyx's fur. Nyx purred and leaned into Jaune's touch.

"Strange. Semblances are supposed to reflect an aspect of ourselves. Perhaps, your semblance is a reflection of your darker self," Winter said.

Jaune remained silent at her words.

"Or," Winter said, causing Jaune to perk up. "The Arcs have always been a family of heroes. Your mother was one and your father became one by marrying into the family. As such all Arcs were blessed with a semblance that answered their inner cry for justice and their need to help others, maybe this is a way your semblance chose to manifest. Helping people by turning their greatest enemy into their greatest ally."

"You really think so?" Jaune asked her.

"I can only guess. I haven't seen your semblance completely in action so this might not even be it," Winter said.

"My semblance is something else," Jaune admitted. He raised his hand and a small sphere of aura weakly flickered to life, burning for a few seconds before fading away.

"A Manipulation Class Semblance," Winter said. "Interesting. So the part about controlling… them is different?"

"I assume so. I've never had a chance to test it in a controlled environment," Jaune said.

"Maybe," Winter said.

_What if it's not a semblance? What if it's something else? LIke… magic. Could it be that the sole son of the Arc family was born with Magic?_ Winter thought as she looked at Jaune, who had begun playing with Nyx.

"Specialist! We're arriving at Kinrin!" the pilot said.

"Good. Take us down at the mines. I'll take it from here with our passenger," Winter said.

"Wait. I can get to town myself. You don't need to escort me," Jaune said, waving his arms around.

"No, your sister would kill me if I didn't bring you back to her personally. Then, she'd kill you," Winter said.

Jaune gulped in fear. He remembered that one of the things that Vert had inherited from their mother was her fiery temper. Coupled with her semblance, Jaune did not intend to mess with a furious Vert. Conceding, Jaune reluctantly agreed with Winter and nodded.

"Hey, this is for both of our survival," Winter said as the bullhead shook a little upon landing.

"Did you grab my weapons?" Jaune asked.

"The scythes? They're over there leaning against the other cargo," Winter said, gesturing to the small box in the back.

"Thanks. Can't lose Sol and Luna," Jaune said, picking them up.

"I never took you for a scythe wielder," Winter said as they exited the bullhead. "Weiss mentions that you used a sword and shield."

"I did but I wanted to separate myself from my family. That was my grandfather's weapon, not mine. It's why despite me using it, it never felt right," Jaune said as they walked past the dozens of SDC workers and Atlas soldiers. It took a few seconds before the last of Winter's words hit him in the face.

"Wait… did you say Weiss?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, why?" Winter looked down at him.

"I'm just curious. Do you know her or something?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, she's my younger sister," Winter said, nonchalantly.

"Ah… Eh? Your younger sister?" Jaune said. "But you two are nothing alike!" he exclaimed, pointing at her.

"Yes, well, she is. I'm sorry if she had anything to do with your less than savory time there," Winter said.

"It's fine. It's not your fault," Jaune said.

"Still, mother and I… we tried to raise her to be kind and understanding… not this. Cruel and demeaning. Quick to judge without analyzing the situation at hand," Winter said.

"If it makes you feel better, I kind of deserved it since I snuck in with fake transcripts," Jaune said.

"I know. You really thought that your sisters could get official transcripts of their own?" Winter said, sending Jaune a small smile.

"But… Saph's wife, Terra, works at the Atlas base in Argus! I thought they got it from there!" Jaune said.

"Please. Terra may be good at what she does but getting official transcripts means going deep into the underbelly of Argus and that's where I came in. Or well, forced to come in. Your sister strongarmed me into helping her," Winter said.

"I see…," Jaune said. "Anything else I should know about how and where you got those transcripts from?"

"No, we just got them from the black market is all," Winter said.

"Not shady at all," Jaune said.

His blue eyes went from his escort to the town of Kinrin, which lay up ahead. Jaune's heart clenched with worry when he saw the state of some of the buildings. Families and workers alike were still helping those who had been affected in the aftermath. Rescue workers digging through some of the collapsed buildings to find missing people. He balled his fists in anger. Why did this town have to be attacked by the White Fang? Why did the SDC have to move in and paint a target on these people who were just trying to live their lives?

He stopped shaking as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Winter looking at him with blank eyes.

"It's infuriating, isn't it? To see people like this? To know that the ones who did this are still out there," Winter said.

Jaune looked at her and began to back away as he saw a shimmering white aura appear around her. However as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

"But we must press on. To find them and bring them to justice in order to protect the others," Winter said, smiling.

"I have a question," Jaune said as they walked down the streets.

"Hmm?"

"Why do I have no memories of Aunt Willow if she's my godmother?" Jaune asked. "And most of my memories of you are from when Alice and I were nine."

"It's because after Mother gave birth to Weiss, our father, a despicable man named Jacques began to dig his oily claws into her. No matter how many times mother tried to remove Weiss from his presence and vice-versa, Jacques would always be there with something to counteract her so mother had to stay. She couldn't come to Domremy anymore, that is… until Weiss began going to Beacon. With her out of our father's grasp and our grandfather being around Whitley more, I think she can finally visit the town of her friend for the first time. As for me, it was pretty much the same. I had to protect Weiss from our father. I lost count of how many hits I took for her," Winter said, looking down.

"It was only when I started going to Atlas that I could leave for Domremy under the pretenses of it being a mission or extended project," Winter said.

"Oh, so that's why," Jaune replied.

"Yeah," Winter said.

As the two walked on, they conversed about various things, mostly what Jaune has been doing lately. Jaune described at length the tortures an old demon named Maria Calavera has been putting him through and how it paid off. Winter nodded along, her stoic demeanor returning and offered Jaune some advice on how to get lessen the soreness in his muscles after training. As they walked, they heard a voice yell out to them.

"Winter!"

The two turned around and saw Vert running towards them. Her eyes widened in happiness when she set her eyes upon Jaune. She ran even faster and ran headfirst into Jaune, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Winter watched in amusement as the elder Arc sister began to suffocate a struggling Jaune. It was like watching a King Taijitu catch its prey. The more Jaune struggled, the tighter Vert's grip became.

"Sis! I can't… BREEEAAATHE!" Jaune gasped as he desperately began to tap on Vert's arm.

"Vert," Winter said.

Vert looked up at Winter with a confused look on her face. Winter sighed and pointed at Jaune's face which was now turning into a deadly shade of blue. Vert paled and let go, shaking Jaune as froth started coming out of his mouth.

"Jaune! JAUUUUNE!" Vert screamed hysterically as Jaune lapsed in and out of consciousness.

"What's going on?"

The two turned around and saw Maria and Mae walking up to them. Maria glanced over and saw a barely conscious Jaune in Vert's arms.

"What did you do to him?" Maria asked.

"Why are you assuming I did this!?" Vert demanded in a scandalized tone.

"You almost did this to Mae about fifteen minutes ago," Maria said in a deadpan tone. Mae nodded her head rapidly in agreement.

Vert's mood dropped as she hugged her knees and rocked back and forth on the street as a cloud of depression rained down its melancholic raindrops on her head. Winter, Maria, and Mae sweatdropped as she kept muttering "I'm sorry" over and over.

"Jaune!" Mae cried out, running towards the fallen Arc. She walked over and tugged on his sleeves, rousing him out of his fading state.

"Mae?" Jaune asked groggily as he sat up.

"Jaune!" Mae jumped and hugged Jaune tightly, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Jaune smiled and returned the hug.

"You did okay kid," Maria said, walking over to him.

"Thanks, old lady," Jaune said, smiling. That smile quickly disappeared when Maria hit Jaune on the top of his head with her cane.

"OW!"

"Don't run off like that again!" Maria scolded.

"Ow, fine, fine!" Jaune said.

"Good. I don't train suicidal brats," Maria said.

"Jaune?"

Jaune turned around and saw his sister looking at him with some tears in her eyes. She ran over and hugged him again and this time, Jaune returned the hug tightly.

"Don't ever do that again! This is the second time! I almost thought I lost you again!" Vert said, crying hysterically. Jaune had a guilty look on his face as he made soothing circles on his sobbing older sister's back.

"I'm sorry, Vert," Jaune said.

"You better be," she muttered as she began to pull out of the hug. She sniffled and wiped her tears before giving Jaune a mischievous smirk. "Don't think you're off the hook yet. I'm telling Mom and Dad about the stunt you pulled off and I'm definitely telling your girlfriend about this."

Jaune became a deathly shade of white upon hearing this. He grabbed Vert's shoulders and began to shake her.

"Please don't do this! Mom and Dad, I'm fine with but not Pyrrha! PLEASE DON'T TELL PYRRHA! I WILL ACTUALLY DIE!" Jaune said.

"Well, then you should have thought of that before running off to a warzone where Adam fucking Taurus was seen," Vert said.

"Hey! I didn't know that he would be there," Jaune said, raising his hands in defense.

"Didn't know… wait? Did you actually see him?" Winter asked.

"See him?" Jaune snorted. "The bastard left me for dead after I saved his life multiple times when we ran into a Basilisk inside the mines."

"That asshole! I'm going to rip him to shreds!" Vert growled as a green aura began to manifest around her.

"Hey sis, calm down. You're scaring everyone," Jaune said, placing his hand on his older sister's shoulder.

Vert breathed in deeply before exhaling, causing her aura to fade away.

"Sorry about that," Vert said.

"What happened to him after?" Winter asked.

"I don't know. By the time I got out, I was too tired to run after him and I was running low on aura," Jaune said. "I walked for a bit and then passed out under a tree where you found me."

"Hmmm, I need to report this to General Ironwood. Did he say anything in particular? Like what his next target was?" Winter asked.

"I don't know. We were just focused on getting out at the moment," Jaune said.

"Hmm, I see," Winter said. As she was about to speak, Winter narrowed her eyes as she heard someone speak through her earpiece.

"_Specialist Schnee. We have accounted for most of the Dust crates that were reported to have been stolen by the White Fang. We need you to come down here. One of the members we found seems to have been a high ranking member of this operation so they might have more information on future attacks,"_ the radio said.

"On my way, over," Winter said. "Well, the soldiers have just found the rest of Adam's men so I need to go over there and interrogate them. I'll see all of you later. Vert, I'll try to get a leave so that I can go to the Festival of Israfil."

"Alright," Vert said.

"I'll be off then," Winter said.

"Winty, wait!"

"What-?" Winter's eyes widened when Vert placed a kiss on her cheek. Her face exploded in an atomic blush. Vert pulled away with a sly smile on her face. Winter looked at her, placing a hand on the cheek that Vert kissed while stuttering incoherently as she grew redder and redder by the second.

"Uh- I have to g-go! BYE!" Winter said in a high-pitched tone and ran off.

"Don't you think that you're teasing her too much?" Jaune asked.

"Nah," Vert said. "Besides… I'll tell her at the Festival."

"Tell her what?" Jaune asked.

"Nevermind that, now, I'm hungry. Wanna get something to eat?" Vert asked them.

"Sure," Maria said.

"I'm hungry! Can we get pizza?" Mae asked, wagging her tail.

"You're so cute!" Vert said, reaching out to hug her. Mae immediately ducked under it and ran towards Jaune.

"Come on," Jaune said as he picked up Mae. "Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter seems a bit short. But on the bright side, we only have a few more chapters until the Festival so I hope you're all ready for another Arkos reunion and possibly a Jaune-Blake reunion. Now the only thing I'm wondering is if I should bring Ren and Nora... decisions, decisions. Oh and Mae's semblance. I'll show more and more of it in the next couple of chapters so great! Have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!~**


	12. Arc 2: Isla

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**Somewhere Between Kinrin and Vale, 12:30 PM**

* * *

"Is this the best you can do, kid?" Maria yelled.

Jaune panted as he leaned on Sol and Luna for support. He looked up at her with tired eyes. It had been four days since they had left Kinrin for the next town. In those four days, Maria had upped his training, making him train until he dropped. She broke him down in mind and body and then built him back up. From sun up to sundown, all Jaune did was train. It was brutal, to say the least.

"Can't we… take a break?" Jaune asked, panting like a donkey in the summer.

"Your foes won't let you take a break and while the Grimm won't attack you, people will!" Maria said.

"I know… it's just… you've been running me into the ground for four days straight! Shouldn't I get a break or something? I mean, I never see you do this to Mae," Jaune said.

Mae. The little fox faunus had begun her training ever since she had awakened her which she dubbed **Mirror Shield** due to its ability to create illusions as they figured out. During a session in which she was learning to dodge projectiles, Mae's semblance had flared and created a second Mae. When Jaune threw a rock at both Mae's, one of them failed to dodge however the stone had completely passed through her. It was strange. Maria had theorized that the clones or illusions were non-corporeal but messed with the psychosomatic senses and fooled the target into thinking that they were touching something physical. A potent ability that when trained can be used for more than just intangible clones capable of fooling foes and inflicting physical damage. Mae could potentially cast illusions capable of harming her foes

"Well, Mae is a child and you're not. She needs to be eased into training," Maria said as she walked over to him. She pulled a bottle of water from her pouch and handed it to him. "But you're right. I should let your body recover."

"Thanks," Jaune said.

"No problem."

"Hmm, how about this? Instead of solely focusing on your combat prowess, how about we switch it up a little? I know I won't be much help with this but… how would you go about training your powers with the Grimm?" Maria asked.

Jaune capped the bottle and placed it on the grass next to him. His brows furrowed in thought as he began thinking of ways he could train his powers. More Grimm that would have resistance to his initial presence would more than likely appear in the future and he needed to build his control to better deal with them. He didn't need people he cared about getting hurt because of some delusion that his control powers were the be all end all with Grimm.

"I don't know… unless I can find some Grimm to train my powers with I can't really say," Jaune said. His eyes lit up in realization.

"That's it!"

"What's it?" Maria asked.

"The woods contain lots and lots of Grimm right? Beowolves. King Taijitu. Nevermores. Rapier Wasps. Ursas! Possibly even high tier ones like Beringels, Goliaths, Deathstalkers, and Alphas! When we get to the next town, why don't I spend a few days in the woods as a way to train my survival, combat, and Grimm control?" Jaune proposed.

"Hmm, sounds sketchy. I don't want you getting yourself hurt just to see results," Maria said.

"Isn't that what training is?" Jaune asked with a deadpan look on his face.

Maria sighed at his words.

"Very well, kid. Just remember to keep in contact," Maria said.

"Hey, I'm not leaving now. When we get over to the next town," Jaune said.

He stood and picked up Sol and Luna and strapped them to his back.

"How long until we get to the next town?" Jaune asked.

"How am I supposed to know? Don't you have the map?" she asked.

* * *

**Maple Stream, Sanus, 10:30 AM**

* * *

Maple Stream was a quaint little town with a population of over 275 people. Much smaller than anything Jaune had seen in Kinrin or Vale but the smallness of the town reminded him of his hometown of Domremy. It was a town where everyone knew everyone. The houses were a mix of ancient and new with some houses being of a different style than the others.

Jaune felt his heart ache with fond memories of home. Mae marveled at the sight of the town. Her tail swished happily as she rode on Jaune's back. Nyx popped her head out of Jaune's hoodie, sniffing the air.

Noticing his look, Maria looked at Jaune.

"You okay?" Maria asked.

"This place reminds me of my home town," Jaune said. He saw two kids running past them and in their place, an image of him and Alice appeared. He smiled fondly at the memory.

"Okay kid. This is where we part ways," Maria said.

"What?" Mae looked down at Jaune. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going into the forest for a few days to train my powers," Jaune said as he slowly let her off his back.

"I'll go with you!" she said, looking at him expectantly.

"Mae, it's too dangerous for you to go," Jaune said.

"NO! Last time you got hurt!" Mae protested.

"Mae," Jaune said, kneeling to her level. Mae looked at Jaune with small tears in her eyes.

"I promise that I'll come back in three days and I won't be hurt. If I have a scratch on me, I promise I'll get you ice cream," Jaune said.

"Really?" she asked.

"Promise," Jaune said, wrapping her pinky around his.

"Are you gonna buy supplies?" Maria asked.

"Just some water and I'll be on my way," Jaune said.

"Good luck out there. If you run into bandits, take them out. If there are too many, get out of there okay?" Maria said.

* * *

**Beacon Academy, Same Time**

* * *

Pyrrha mindlessly played with her hair as Professor Oobleck lectured the class about something which she couldn't be bothered to remember. She rested her head on her hands. It's been a while since she called Jaune and she was beginning to get worried. Her worry peaked when she saw Alice screaming over her scroll a few nights prior and nearly crushed the device if she hadn't taken a moment to breathe.

Speaking of Alice, the girl seemed to somehow be paying attention and keeping up with everything Oobleck was saying. Her pencil moved at rapid speeds as she wrote down dates and terms that he rattled off in his faster than light speech. It amazed her how she could do this. Jaune was never this competent in Oobleck's class but then again… neither of them were competent at picking up on what the green-haired man ever said. The only way they all passed the class was through the textbook and hours of a conjoined study group with Team RWBY.

"Psst! Alice!" Pyrrha whispered.

The female Arc twin stopped writing and shot her a curious glance.

"What?" she responded.

"Can you share your notes?" Pyrrha asked.

"My notes? What notes?" Alice said.

"Aren't you taking notes?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I can't even understand what he's saying," Alice said.

"Ms. Arc! Ms. Nikos!" Oobleck called, stopping his lecture. The two froze and turned to him.

"Nothing Doctor! We're terribly sorry!" Alice answered.

"Hmmm, now where were we? Oh yes, the religions of Remanantian Society. As you can imagine, the dominant religion here in the Kingdom of Vale is that of… can anyone guess?" Oobleck said.

Weiss's hand shot into the air almost immediately.

"Yes, Ms. Schnee?"

"That would be the Church of the Two Brothers," Weiss said.

"Please elaborate on that," Oobleck said.

"The Church of the Two Brothers worships the Brother Gods, Mikael and Samael, the Gods of Light and Darkness respectively. While it is primarily focused around those two, there are a host of other gods that have branched off from the Church, giving evidence that they used to worship more than just the two. A famous example here in Vale is the Covenant of Israfil in Domremy which worships the Goddess of Life and Healing, Israfil, and rejects all others," Weiss said.

"Thank you, Ms. Schnee. However, you are wrong on some parts of your answer. The Covenant of Israfil, while it does hold the Goddess of Healing in a higher position of importance than let's say… Mikael. The Covenant believes holds her brothers, the God of Light and Darkness in nearly equal importance. Same with the Church. Their primary object of worship is the Brothers but will pray to the others as members of their courts. It's not that they don't worship them. It's that their roles are distinctly different in each denomination," Oobleck clarified. The bell rang, causing everyone to sigh in relief.

"Ah, lunchtime. Remember class, read the next chapter of _Remnant: A History_. We will be discussing the various deities worshipped by the ancient and current people of Mantle as well as their theories on the Grimm," Oobleck said.

Teams RWBY and PRAN exited the classroom, walking in awkward silence. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang had kept a healthy distance from Alice while Pyrrha, Blake, Nora, and Ren walked next to her. The silence became unbearable for a certain blonde brawler as she tried to strike up a conversation with the Arc Twin.

_Come on, Yang. It's been weeks since she joined_, Yang thought.

"So, um, Alice," Yang said. Alice turned to look at her with a curious look in her eyes.

"Yes?" she said.

"What are your plans for the break in a few days?" Yang asked.

"Hmm, I'm planning to go back home to Domremy since it's almost time for the Festival. Mom and Dad said that preparations are almost finished so yeah. I might take my whole team with me," Alice said.

"OOH! Can we come? Can we? Can we?" Ruby asked excitedly. Her silver eyes sparkled in excitement at the prospect of going to a festival, especially one that was in Alice's hometown.

"I'm not sure that's wise considering what you did," Alice said, narrowing her eyes. Her eyes glowed slightly as she looked into the very depths of Ruby's soul.

At the mention of the event, Ruby deflated and shrank back from the blonde girl's icy blue eyes. She hid next to Weiss, who too was shivering under Alice's stare.

"Come on Ally-cat," Yang said, swinging her arm over Alice's shoulder. "What's the worst that could happen? Besides, I… want to see where he grew up."

Yang's tone took a somber tone. Alice, however, wasn't paying attention to the tone shift and gripped Yang's arm tightly. Yang winced in pain as Alice slowly removed her arm from around her shoulder.

"Do. Not. Ever. Call. Me. That," Alice said, squeezing Yang's arm painfully. "Are we clear?"

"Alright! Alright! Geez!" Yang said.

Alice released Yang's arm. Yang took a small step back and sighed as her aura began to heal whatever damage Alice may have inflicted.

"Let's get this clear. Whatever relationship our team had before and whatever sentiments my teammates may have for you, I don't have. We are not friends. We will never be friends. Not after what you did," Alice said coldly.

Yang's eyes widened at her words. Alice huffed before walking off, leaving Team RWBY and PRAN dazed and confused.

"So that was a thing," Nora said as she watched the retreating figure of her teammate.

"Just be glad she doesn't hate us," Ren said, agreeing with Nora. Neither of them had seen Alice like this before. She was always nice to people and joked around… like Jaune once did.

"Alice… you guys go on ahead to the cafeteria. I'll go get Alice," Pyrrha said, worried for Alice.

"Yeah, sure thing," Ren nodded.

Pyrrha smiled and took off after the Arc Sister. She didn't have to run far as she saw Alice sulking around the corner.

"Hey," Pyrrha said. Alice looked up at her. Pyrrha smiled and sat down next to Alice.

"Was I too harsh on them?" Alice asked.

"I mean you were… but you were justified in how you felt," Pyrrha responded.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. It's just that… my sister called me a couple of nights ago and told me that Jaune was trapped in a cave-in," Alice said.

"What!? Is he alright!?" Pyrrha asked, fear gripping her heart. Jaune in a cave in. No wonder he didn't call. He must have been injured and is recovering.

"Yeah, he made it out fine with just a sprained ankle. Vert said that it would heal in a few days," Alice said.

Pyrrha sighed in relief.

"I'll try and call Jaune later," Alice said. "And maybe as his girlfriend, you can scream at him?"

"I'll try…," Pyrrha said.

"Good! Now, let's get some lunch!" Alice said. "I'm starving!"

* * *

"I'm starving…," Jaune said as he trudged through the woods. Another hour with no food was driving him crazy. Nyx bounded along next to him, happily running around the woods pissing on every tree stump available to her.

"At least one of us is having fun," Jaune said. "AGGGH! I should have bought some food!"

The snapping of a branch caught Jaune's attention.

"Nyx! There's a deer! Go kill it!" Jaune urged. "Good thing I've been practicing this! **Size Change!**"

Nyx glowed before transforming into her full size and bounded after the noise. Jaune sat ready with Sol and Luna in their combined sword form, ready to cut apart whatever Nyx sent his way.

"I know! I'll call their combined form, Eclipse! Because Sun and Moon create an eclipse!" Jaune said.

Suddenly, a deer came running towards Jaune. On instinct, Jaune dashed towards the deer and swung his blade. Jaune lowered the blade and the deer fell to the ground, blood spraying out of its throat. The deer twitched as it clung to its last dredges of life.

"I'm sorry," Jaune said as he stood over the deer. Its brown eyes looked pleadingly up at him. "May Israfil grant you peace in death."

He brought the blade down on it, piercing through its heart and put the poor animal out of its misery.

"It's done… wait, I have no idea how to skin a deer! SHIIIT!"

"I'm sorry for making you carry this, Nyxie," Jaune said as he walked next to a massive Nyx. She had the deer carcass strapped to her back. Nyx merely barked.

"I just hope we find some camper," Jaune said.

The sun was beginning to set and Jaune's hope of eating for the night was growing slimmer and slimmer by the second. And the most frustrating part of this was… there were no Grimm in the area. That small factoid boggled him to no end. Now, all he was hoping for was to find a river and fish for something.

A small orange glow caught his attention. Jaune's eyes lit up. A campfire… or something. Whatever it was, that meant that there was someone in the area. He unstrapped the buck from Nyx and shifted her to her child form. Beckoning to her, Nyx hopped and climbed up to Jaune's head, making herself comfortable,

"Let's just hope they're friendly," Jaune said, placing one hand on his weapon and summoning an arm to carry the deer carcass.

Upon getting closer, Jaune made out the figure of a woman. Through the light, he could see her delicate facial features. Her blonde hair glowed softly in the light of the flame as she prodded the flames with a stick. She wore an orange crop top with a black and white jacket on the outside. On her left arm was a clove that extended all the way to her elbow in contrast with her right which bore a simple short glove. She wore a white and violet skirt and a black choker with a gold locket with a diamond embedded into the center.

"Um, hello?" Jaune said, warily. His experience with Adam Taurus had made him wary around strangers. The woman looked at him with a curious gaze, her prodding actions having ceased the moment Jaune made his presence known.

"Hmm? Oh, hello there," she said. Her gaze traveled down to the carcass he had been carrying. "Would you like some help with that?" she asked as if she knew what he was about to say.

"Oh, yeah sure. The name is Jaune by the way," Jaune said, placing the carcass by the fire.

"Isla. My name is Isla," she said. Isla pulled a knife from a pouch that lay next to the rock she had been sitting and quickly got to work on the deer.

"I'm sorry to drop in on you all of a sudden," Jaune said, sitting down across from her.

"Hmm, it's fine. I never get much company out here anyway," she said.

"You live out here?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, I love it out here. The wilds are so peaceful. Of course, I have to go into town every now and then to sell some of my haul. I hunt and fish," Isla said.

"So what brings someone like you out here?" Isla said as she cut some meat from the buck's hindquarters.

"I'm doing survival training… and failing," Jaune muttered.

"You'll get it down. Is this your first time?" she asked.

"No, and that's the problem. My family and I have been camping before…," Jaune said.

"Hmm, it'll come back to you. For now, let's enjoy some deer!" Isla said, grabbing some metal barbeque sticks from her pouch. She stuck a piece of meat onto the stick and handed one to Jaune.

Jaune smiled and gratefully accepted the stick. Roasting it over the fire, Jaune looked at the woman, who had a serene look on her face as she roared her deer. The more Jaune looked at her, the more he felt as if he knew her. Her face. Her mannerisms. Her smile. It felt comforting and Jaune felt oddly protective of her.

"Are you alright?" Isla said, giving Jaune a concerned glance.

"Huh?" Jaune snapped out of his thoughts. How long had he been staring at her?

"You've been staring at me for five minutes while spacing out. Are you alright?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry it's just that I felt like we've met," Jaune said.

"Ah, I see. Deja vu is a strange thing, isn't it? Perhaps it's almost destiny for us to meet, isn't it?" Isla said, pulling her stick of meat out of the flame and blowing on it. She took a bite from the chunk of meat and hummed in pleasure as she took in the flavor.

Jaune smiled and took a bite out of his venison.

"So what made you want to live out here all the way in the middle of the woods?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm, I never liked the big city. I've always loved the wilderness. It's so full of life. Animal and Grimm living in perfect harmony away from the conflict of Man and Faunus. Out here, one can find… peace," Isla said as she placed another piece of deer meat on her barbeque stick.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Jaune said. "I lived on an island town with lots of woods and wildlife. My sister and I used to run around and play with the animals."

Isla smiled at his words. Her eyes traveled to Nyx, who had been watching her intently since the two had arrived.

Nyx kept her focus completely on the woman before her. As a Grimm, she could sense emotions, particularly negative ones, as well as Aura and other forms of… energy. And this woman did not have an aura. Her energy mimicked aura but it was not aura. The more she felt it, the more uneasy she felt.

Isla smiled at Nyx. "Aren't you a cute puppy?" she said.

Jaune grinned and grabbed Nyx from the top of his head. "I know right. Aren't you?" Jaune said, rubbing his cheek on Nyx's fur. Temporarily forgetting the situation, Nyx cuddled with her master, basking in his affection.

"You two are close," Isla commented. Her comment was ignored as Jaune stroked Nyx's fur and showered her with comments of praise. She smiled.

_You haven't changed one bit_, she thought. Her eyes glanced at the night sky and lingered on the rising shattered moon of Remnant. "I have a cabin not too far from where we are. I was thinking that you could stay the night and continue on your journey."

"Really?" Jaune said, looking up from Nyx.

"Yes. You can restock on your supplies and rest up for the night," she said, standing. She grabbed her pouch and slung it over her shoulder.

"Why are you helping me?" Jaune asked.

"Why not?" Isla replied.

"Lead the way then," Jaune said. Jaune followed Isla deeper into the woods, following the makeshift path she had set up. As they walked, Jaune felt several pairs of eyes watching them. He looked around and saw the eyes of Grimm darting around in the brush but not once did they dare to attack.

"Why aren't the Grimm attacking?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know. I never bothered to ask and I appreciate that they don't," Isla said. She stopped for a second and kneeled. Placing her fingers on the ground, she narrowed her eyes.

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"Bootprints. There was someone here," Isla said.

"Aren't there bandits in the area?" Jaune asked.

"There are… but they are of no concern," Isla said, brushing off his concern. "Come on. It's only a few more minutes until we get to the cabin."

"Do you have a connection to the CCT from your cabin?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, I do. How do you think I watch Webflixs?" Isla asked.

Isla's cabin was a small, comfortable wooden house in the middle of the woods. It was located in a small clearing with a pond. The cabin was two stories with a balcony at the top, overlooking a part of the forest. Various decorations were seen hanging from the door.

Isla walked up to the door and unlocked it. Walking inside after Isla, Jaune saw the interior of her humble little home. It had a moderate-sized TV and a small couch. A small glass table sat in front of the couch with a blue vase housing one flower. A small stack of books from different authors lay next to the vase.

To his right, her kitchen was like any other kitchen Jaune had seen. Her refrigerator had a photo with who Jaune could only assume it was her family. She had an island with a sink and a gas stove. A set of stairs was located at the end of the hallway.

"So, are you thirsty?" Isla asked as she walked over to her fridge. She pulled out two bottles of beer and handed one to Jaune.

"Um… I'm underage," Jaune said.

"Well, if you're old enough to be a huntsman, then you're old enough to drink," Isla said with a smile. "It's what my twin brother, Gabe, used to say."

"I guess… I can take a few sips," Jaune said as he opened the bottle. He took a small sip and coughed as he felt the alcohol burn his throat.

"Ah, I never told you but this is whiskey and not beer," Isla said, sitting back. A small red hue was present on her face.

"How can you drink this stuff!?" Jaune said, coughing.

"You get used to it," she said.

"I'm supposed to be camping and sleeping in the trees and not… accepting whiskey from hermits in the woods," Jaune said, taking one more sip. He coughed as his throat burned from the drink.

"Hmm, it's not so bad. It's what most people who survive in the wild do. Accept help if they're offered… granted that the person isn't a threat but even then that's hard to tell," Isla said. "Just be glad it was me that ran into you and not someone else."

"I'd hate to run into a bandit out here," Jaune said.

"Well, it's getting late. I'd imagine that you want to get some rest," Isla said. "I'll show you to your room."

* * *

Pyrrha sat in front of the mirror brushing her hair. Her eyes drifted down to her scroll. Still no calls from Jaune. Her eyes lingered on his face for a few more seconds before she leaned back in her chair. Ren and Nora looked at their leader with some worry.

"Are you alright Pyrrha?" Nora asked.

"Huh? Oh, just thinking… about Jaune," Pyrrha said. Nora's eyes dimmed down as memories of his death resurfaced inside her mind.

"I miss him too. I just wish he was still… alive," Nora said as tears began to drip down her face. Pyrrha looked at Nora sadly. Her eyes drifted over to Ren, who had his fists clenched tightly. She sighed. Pyrrha really wished Alice was here but the girl had left to sneak down and steal some food from the cafeteria. Something Jaune had attempted more times than she could count.

"Nora… I need to tell you something. It's about-!"

Pyrrha's scroll went off. She quickly snatched it and her eyes widened when she saw the caller ID.

"I need to take this. I'll be back in a bit. If Alice gets here, tell her I'm on a call," Pyrrha said. Nora and Ren nodded and went back to moping.

Pyrrha answered her scroll and left her room in a rush, slamming the door behind her. She angrily answered her scroll as she rounded the corner to find somewhere she could talk in private.

It was well past curfew so she didn't have to worry about other students and as long as she stayed inside and never went to the roof that racist asshole Cardin wouldn't hear her. Deeming that the women's restroom was the safest place to talk, Pyrrha angrily yelled into her scroll upon seeing his face on video call after entering a stall.

"WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU CALLED?" she screamed.

"_Now Pyr, I know you're mad but…_," Jaune protested on the other side.

"Mad? Jaune, mad doesn't even begin to describe how I feel! Do you know what happened when I heard that you were trapped in a cave-in? I almost had a heart attack!" Pyrrha said.

"_I know. I know and I'm sorry it took so long for me to call_," Jaune said. "_Can you please forgive me Pyr?"_

"I don't know… what will you do for it?" Pyrrha asked, leaving one eye open as she looked at Jaune.

"_Oh? Well… um,_" Jaune said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"How about this? When we see each other again in Domremy, I get you all to myself for the entire break. Deal?" Pyrrha said with a bright blush on her face. "I… have something special planned for us."

She fidgeted with the hem of her nightshirt, making Jaune blush on the other side of the screen.

"_O- okay_," Jaune said, gulping audibly.

"So, how have you been?" Pyrrha asked.

"_Well, some exciting news. We're almost to the port of Vale so we might see each other on the ship! Also, Mae's unlocked her semblance!_" Jaune said.

"That's great! She'll have to show me once we see each other again!" Pyrrha said.

"_I'm not with them right now so that might be the best_," Jaune said.

"Where are you?"

"_I'm training my survival skills and looking for Grimm to test my… grimm control powers on_," Jaune said.

"As long as you don't endanger yourself, I guess it's okay. I can't really stop you," Pyrrha said. "How's that going so far?"

"_Eh, as well as you would expect for it to go in an area with barely any Grimm. The place is teeming with bandits. One of the residents who I'm staying with for the night warned me about them,_" Jaune said.

"That sounds like it could be trouble, Jaune. Please be careful," Pyrrha said.

"_I know. I might ask her to point out some places where the Grimm are abundant_," Jaune said.

Pyrrha's heart burned with envy upon hearing that Jaune's host was a female. She kept her jealousy hidden underneath a fake smile.

"That sounds grand," Pyrrha said.

"_How about you? How's babysitting my baby twin sister?_" Jaune asked.

"Alice is fun to be around. It's like being around a female version of you if that helps," Pyrrha said.

"_Where is she anyway?_" Jaune asked. "_Is she raiding the cafeteria for snacks?_"

"Yup. Anyway, break will start in a few days so that's nice," Pyrrha said.

"_What about combat class? How are the other students treating her?_" Jaune asked.

"The other students… are for a lack of better words, afraid of her. The fact that your parents almost destroyed the school when they came here might be a contributing factor," Pyrrha said. "She's also ruthless in Combat Class. Just two days ago, she hit Dove in the private area so hard, Professor Peach came out and said that he might not be able to produce sperm in his left testicle ever again."

Jaune winced upon hearing that.

"_I may not like the guy but sheesh Alice… at least have some control_," Jaune said. Jaune glanced over at something off the screen.

"It's getting late," Pyrrha said, looking at the time on her scroll.

"_Yeah… goodnight Pyr,"_ Jaune said. "_And… I love you._"

Pyrrha smiled and blew Jaune a kiss before ending the call. She sighed dreamily as she held the scroll close to her chest.

"I'll see you soon," Pyrrha whispered. She exited the stall and left the bathroom.

After she left, the stall door three stalls down opened and out walked Ruby. Her eyes were wide in shock. When she heard someone enter the bathroom, she was about to leave but stayed when she heard Pyrrha begin to yell. Normally, she would leave out of respect for Pyrrha's privacy but froze when she heard Jaune's voice.

"Jaune's alive," Ruby whispered as tears of joy streamed down her face. Maybe hope wasn't lost after all. Maybe they could be friends again.

"Maybe… I still have a chance," Ruby said, placing a hand on her chest. Her heart beat a million miles per second at the thought of Jaune.

"Should I tell the others?" Ruby asked herself. She looked at the mirror and shook her head.

"No the others are what got us into this situation in the first place. I'll keep Jaune a secret… for now," Ruby said, smiling in the mirror.

* * *

"Alright, that should be it," Isla said, handing Jaune a bottle of water. Jaune nodded gratefully as he stuffed it into his pack.

"Thanks for everything, Isla," Jaune said.

"Nothing to worry about," Isla said. "So about the Grimm."

"Oh right," Jaune said. After breakfast, Jaune had asked Isla to point out all the possible points in the woods where the Grimm congregated the most. The closest point to him was what Isla deemed to be a nesting ground for Nevermore but a few Goliath had resided there as well.

"Just head north for a few miles and you should come upon the grounds," Isla said.

"Thanks," Jaune replied.

"Just be careful. Bandit activity is high around here," she warned.

"I'll try my best," Jaune said. "But trouble has a way of finding me."

"Welcome to the club," Isla said.

"Hey, thanks again for everything," Jaune said, bowing.

"Hey, no need to thank me. Just… come visit every once in a while," Isla said.

"I will," Jaune said. He waved goodbye and disappeared into the thicket with Nyx next to him and Eclipse on his back. Isla watched him with an unreadable expression on her face as her waves died down. Soon after, she smiled.

"Be careful out there, big brother," Isla said as her eyes shimmered a light violet. Next to her, a wilting plant grew into full bloom.

"Oum, these bushes are thick," Jaune said.

Nyx barked.

"No, that was not a 'that's what he said joke'," Jaune said. He looked down at her. "How do you even know what that is?"

Nyx barked.

"You saw it on my scroll while I was looking through Chirpin?" Jaune said. "Note to self: Never check my social media while Nyx is here."

He froze when he heard a twig snap. He immediately grabbed the handle of Eclipse as he looked around. Every hair on his body stood on end.

"Come out," Jaune said. "I know you're there."

He heard chuckles from his left when he saw a man with a scruffy beard step out. He held his hands up in a nonchalant manner and held a hatchet in his left hand.

"Now, now, let's not get hasty here," the man said.

"Tell your buddies to come out too," Jaune said.

The man sighed. "Come out!"

Jaune saw five other people walk out of the woods. Two were women and the other three were men.

"What do you want?" Jaune asked.

"We just want some of your stuff, kid. Sharing is caring after all," the man said.

"How do I know you won't just kill me afterward?" Jaune said.

"Aww, come on, kid," one of the women said. "You can't at least share?"

"I don't deal with criminals," Jaune said, drawing Eclipse.

"Well, what about yer pup? You don't want anything unfortunate to happen to her do you?" the other one asked.

"Are you sure about this?" Jaune asked. "Because I won't hand over my stuff. Especially to someone who looks like the punchline of an abortion joke on the internet."

The man in front of Jaune bristled, offended by his comment.

"You know what… fuck this. Get him and take his shit!" the man said.

"Yes, boss!"

One of the bandits charged towards Jaune with his fist cocked back. He wore spiked brass knuckles which he used as a weapon. Jaune deftly evaded the attack and sent a devastating kick towards the man. He manifested Thaumiel and grabbed the lead bandit and threw him into a tree.

One of the other bandits used her gun to shoot at Jaune. Jaune formed wings with Thaumiel to shield himself before leaping into the air. He swung Eclipse down, taking away a chunk of her aura. He squeezed his fist and summoned the wrist-mounted blaster.

Pointing it at her face, Jaune fired a round at point-blank, shattering her aura and sent her crashing into a tree.

"You bitch!" Jaune barely had time to block as he raised his sword to defend from a bandit's attack.

"NYX!" Jaune called. Nyx grew slightly in size and launched herself at the bandit, clamping down on the bandit's crown jewels. Jaune cringed at the sight as he looked away. He dodged a bullet that was aimed at him and saw one more bandit still up.

He dashed over to her, forming an aura shield and shield bashed her in the face. He then used the blade of Eclipse to throw her through two trees, rendering her unconscious.

"You…," the lead bandit said as he raised his hatchet. Jaune formed aura knives and threw them at him, pinning him to a tree.

"We're done here," Jaune said.

"You fool! The Branwen Tribe is everywhere! We'll get you! You better watch your back!" he yelled.

"Let's go Nyx," Jaune said as he walked off deeper into the brush ignoring everything the bandit was yelling.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" Jaune said as Nyx rode on his shoulder. She let out a series of growls to which Jaune scoffed a little before laughing.

"Yeah, I should have let you rip his dick off," Jaune said. "I'm just glad we didn't get overwhelmed. Thankfully those were fodder."

Nyx let out another bark.

Jaune shivered.

"I can only imagine what their leader is like," Jaune said.

The sounds of screeching alerted the two. They looked up and saw a large black bird streak across the sky. Jaune grinned at the sight of it.

"Nevermore…," Jaune said. He looked at Nyx with a grin and broke into a sprint into the Nevermore Nesting Grounds, eager to begin training his power.

* * *

**Reviews: **

**The Ancient Irish Viking: Thank you!**

**Theothergy: It is an Arkos fic but who knows? The story could go in many directions from here on out.**

**WearmyCurmudgeon: Yeah, Jaune's not really good at bluffing and I'm glad you're liking the Vert-Winter ship (I need to come up with a name for that). And no matter how much more mature Jaune gets, he's still Jaune. I used your semblance idea and mixed it with someone else's. The only reason Vert and Maria were able to touch the "non-corporeal" clones is because their brains are fooled by how real it is that it mimics the sense of touch much like Yakumo's Genjustsus are incorporeal yet are capable of inflicting physical damage on their foes. Just know that it will extend beyond clones and does have drawbacks.**

**NyaNyaKittyFace: Yup, though I believe this chapter cements it since her semblance is called Mirror Shield.**

* * *

**Alrighty! Jaune met the enigmatic, mysterious Isla. Keep an eye on her since more people like her will appear in the chapter. Who is she? Why does she refer to Jaune as big brother? Is she Sieg and Jeanne's long lost daughter? Also, Ruby! She knows! How will she use this information? Will she confront Pyrrha? Will she eventually cave and tell her teammates! All these questions and more, next time on D'Arc is not Evil!**

**Oh, if you haven't figured it out by now, Mae is based on Tamamo no Mae down to the hair color and tail(s). Her semblance is known as Mirror Shield whose name is derived from one of the Imperial Regalia, Yata no Kagami. Her semblance basically works like the Yakumo Clan's Genjutsu from Naruto. Even her clones work the same way, they replicate senses that allow you to feel non-corporeal objects so that while you can't hurt them, they can hurt you. The limit is the amount of aura and concentration it takes. Right now, she can only make one before feeling really tired.**


	13. Arc 2: A Harsh Truth

**I do not own RWBY**

* * *

**In the Forests of Sanus**

* * *

Jaune Arc was a young lad. A lad filled with dreams. Like his parents, Jaune dreamed of being a hero. A hero whose tale would be told throughout the ages that would come. Of course, no hero was without hardship and hardship hit him upside the head in spades. Betrayal. Abandonment. Death. All tried to beat the hero down into the ground and almost succeeded until he was pulled out. Thus, Jaune began his long road of training. Training to become more powerful. And what sort of training was the young lad doing? Well…

"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?" Jaune said as he ran. A massive Nevermore chased after Jaune, screeching in fury.

"I'm sorry!" Jaune yelled back.

The Nevermore screeched once more before firing an onslaught of feathers at Jaune. Jaune was barely able to dodge as he rolled out of the way. The Nevermore landed in front of Jaune, shaking the ground slightly and made its way to him. It let out a series of angered chirps and clicks as it advanced on him.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that was your chick! And besides, he came to me on his own!" Jaune protested.

The Nevermore paused, looking at Jaune intently.

"Look, I was looking for a place to take a nap and I didn't know it was your nest. And your kid just came in out of nowhere and started sleeping on my chest! I didn't even know he was there until Nyx started barking and you came back," Jaune said.

The Nevermore tilted its head and looked at Jaune. It let loose a series of chirps and clicks, causing a vein to pop on Jaune's head.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm great with children!" Jaune said.

The Nevermore huffed and began to walk away, presumably to go hunt.

"Hey! At least let me stay at your nest!" Jaune said.

The Nevermore chirped before taking off, sending a blast of wind towards Jaune.

"Is that a yes!?" Jaune asked. "You know what… I'm just going to sleep there again."

He reached down and looked for his weapons only to find… nothing. He sighed.

"Brothers dammit! I left Sol and Luna back at the nest with Nyx while I ran," Jaune said. "So much for my morning."

It had been three days since Jaune had arrived here at the massive Grimm Watering Hole as he had taken to calling it. Several species of Grimm loved congregating in this small area. The area was a large patch of land with trees everywhere. A large spire stood in the middle of the grounds, towering over all of the trees. If he had to guess, the spire was at least one-hundred and seventy-five feet tall and was man-made, judging from the steepness. The Nevermores made their nests at the top of the spire and getting there involved Jaune using his aura wings. Yes, after several attempts, Jaune was finally able to fly. Of course, fear and death were good motivators. Scaling a structure that steep and that high proved to be a difficult task. Jaune doubted that anyone back at Beacon could climb something this tall without using their weapons or semblance.

Other than improving with his semblance (he refused to call it something else), Jaune had also improved his Grimm powers. Jaune was now capable of fully understanding what the Grimm were saying to him and could talk back as well. Jaune fondly remembered how his meditation and concentration of his powers allowed him to hear Grimm's voices.

* * *

"_Peace. If my power is like a semblance, I just have to look deep within me," Jaune said as he sat cross-legged in the middle of the forest floor. Nyx lay down next to him, whining and nudging his knee._

"_Not now, Nyx. I'm trying to concentrate," Jaune said._

_Nyx kept nudging his knee and whining. Jaune tried his best to ignore her and clear his mind but all that came in were her incessant whines. Semblances were a manifestation of the soul and if what Winter said was right, perhaps Jaune could discover more about this ability by meditating. At least, that's what he read in a book once. But Nyx's attempts of getting his attention were making things difficult for him._

_I wish I could understand what she's saying. Most of the things I get are 'I want food' or something, Jaune thought as he concentrated. _

_Though it would be cool to be able to understand Grimm, Jaune thought. As his train of thought continued along, his body shimmered violet for a few seconds before fading away._

"_MASTER!" _

_Jaune's eyes snapped open when he heard someone's voice. It sounded like it belonged to a girl. A young girl about a year younger than Ruby. Jaune turned around and began to frantically look for the source of the voice._

"_Master! Down here!" _

_Jaune looked down and saw Nyx tilting her head and barking. However, to Jaune, what he heard was not barking but…_

"_Master, I'm hungry! Can we get some food now?" Nyx asked._

_Jaune did the only logical thing a person in his situation would have done. He fainted._

* * *

Jaune cringed at the memory. He admitted that he could have handled that better and to be frank, he was still getting used to it but being able to understand Grimm was a first true step in Jaune's opinion. As his Grimm communication abilities developed, he barely made any progress in the control department. He remembered when he tried controlling a Goliath just yesterday.

* * *

"_Okay, Nyx, nice and quiet. We don't want to startle them," Jaune said, creeping through the shrubbery._

"_I don't understand why we're being so quiet, Master," Nyx said, yawning. Jaune sighed. Master. Ever since he was able to hear_

"_Shh. Haven't you heard? Goliaths are scared of something smaller than they are. That's what one of my teachers told me," Jaune said, remembering one of Port's stories._

"_My mother told me that Goliaths will attack anything that makes them mad so she said I should never sneak up on one," Nyx said._

"_Yeah… wait, Grimm can have children?" Jaune asked._

"_Yes, we can, Master. Grimm aren't like what most humans think. Grimm can reproduce and are also born from Pools of Darkness," Nyx said._

"_Pools of Darkness?" Jaune asked._

"_It's a story but some of the older Grimm swear they exist. The Pools of Darkness are the wellspring of the Grimm. Grimm come from its black tar all the time. Or that's what the others say," Nyx said._

"_Pools of Darkness, huh," Jaune said._

"_There's one!" Nyx said, lifting her paw towards a massive Goliath heading their way. Goliaths were Grimm who took the form of mammoths, possessing black fur, tusks, and a long trunk._

_Jaune kept his hand on Eclipse just in case it attacked and walked out of the bushes. _

"_Hey!" Jaune said, catching the Goliath's attention._

_The Goliath huffed and returned to what it was doing. Scooping water into its trunk and drinking._

"_How do I do this? How did I do that on the basilisk last time?" Jaune said, placing his hand on his chin. He thrust his hand forward and closed his eyes, concentrating on the Goliath as hard as he could. He remembered wanting the Basilisk to stop. Want. That was the key. He had to make them want it to. He had to make them obey. He wanted them to follow._

_To follow their master._

_Jaune's eyes opened, revealing a violet flame dancing within his blue eyes._

"_Go and knock over that tree," Jaune said._

_The Goliath's eyes flashed violet and Jaune smiled._

"_Nyx, look I did it!"_

_No response._

"_Nyx?" Jaune looked down and saw Nyx was gone. He heard slamming against a tree and saw Nyx, in her adult form, slashing relentlessly. Her eyes were covered in a violet light. He heard trumpets roaring and saw the other Goliath around him with the same coloration in their eyes, attacking trees as well._

"_Wait… I wanted only that Goliath to attack a tree, not every Grimm around me," Jaune said. He retracted his power, relinquishing his hold on the Grimm. The Grimm stopped and looked around before going on their business, not even caring to find out what happened. _

_Jaune sighed and began walking back towards the spire._

"_Well, that was a failure but at least something happened," Jaune said._

"_Master wait!" Nyx said, running after Jaune._

* * *

"Hmm, I wish there were an easier way to learn this. I can't have been the only one," Jaune said as he flew up to the highest point in the spire. It was where the Nevermore made their home and where Jaune decided to sleep since he would be safe from any potential threats such as those bandits he came across.

"_Master! You've returned!_" Nyx said, wagging her tail. She bounded over to Jaune and ran in circles around him.

"Hey, girl," Jaune said, squatting. Nyx jumped into his arms and began licking his cheek, making Jaune chuckle. He ruffled her fur before walking over to where he had made his temporary home.

"_Did you get any food after the Nevermore chased you out?_" Nyx asked.

"No, but I did get some water. Don't worry Nyx. We're only here for another night," Jaune said. He walked over to his pack filled with the supplies that Isla gave him before he left. He pulled out a small can filled with canned meat. Forming an aura blade with his finger, Jaune cut a slice of meat off.

Shaping his aura tendril into a sharp spear, Jaune stuck it through the meat.

"Oh, forgot to make a fire. Good thing Isla gave me fire dust," Jaune said as he placed red crystals in a small pile in front of him. He gathered a pile of sticks, some of them taken from the Nevermore nest, placed them atop the crystals, and lit the fire.

"Mhhm!" Jaune said, biting into the meat. "Nothing like a full day of training to make food taste better."

Jaune ripped off a chunk of meat and tossed it to Nyx. Nyx jumped up and caught it.

"_Master, I have no idea where you got this full day of training from. All you did was run from a mother Nevermore all day_," Nyx said.

"Hey, it was evasion training," Jaune said, taking out a large portion of the meat from the can and giving it to Nyx.

"_Whatever Master," _Nyx said.

Jaune looked out of the Nevermore den, admiring the stars in the sky. His gaze shifted to the shattered Moon and lingered there for a few moments. Stargazing was always Jaune's hobby and his favorite thing to do when he couldn't sleep. When he was younger, his and Alice's room was located on the third floor of their tavern and on nights when they were too hyper to sleep, Jaune and Alice would climb out of their window and onto the roof of their tavern and just sit back and watch the stars.

Watching them always made Jaune feel small. Worthless. He often wondered if the Gods knew what they were doing when they placed Man, Faunus, and Grimm on the same world. Was it entertaining for them to watch three races try and destroy each other in some sick cosmic battle royale?

"_Master?_" Nyx asked, wondering why Jaune was staring at the sky.

"Huh? Sorry, I got lost in thought there for a second," Jaune said, coming down from his almost existential crisis.

"_I think you need sleep, Master," _Nyx said, laying down next to Jaune's leg. Jaune smiled and began stroking her fur softly. He looked at the stars again. This time, a string of different thoughts ran through his head.

"I hope that you're doing okay, Pyrrha. Alice," Jaune said. He smiled softly before closing his eyes, with nothing more than the light of the ever distant moon to keep the boy and his grimm companion company.

* * *

_Jaune found himself, sitting on a throne. A bleak wasteland was all that there was before him. Massive crystals decorated the land and rivers of black tar-like energy flowed from his throne. Dark clouds covered the sky, raining bolts of lightning onto the land._

"_Brother, I wish to speak with you," a voice said._

_Jaune looked up and saw a woman with long flowing blonde hair, reaching down just past her waist. She wore shimmering white robes that accentuated her beautiful figure. She was neither busty nor flat. A perfect in-between. Her voice was alluring like a siren, capable of making men fall to their knees and beg for her attention. The eyes which Jaune mistook for amethysts shone slightly in the light. _

_Any man would have fallen head over heels in love at the sight of this woman. But not Jaune. To Jaune, this woman had a strong connection to him but he couldn't figure out what that connection was._

"_What is it?" Jaune said._

"_I was wondering why our Sister locked herself away in her room earlier," she asked._

"_I have no clue. But I believe it involves that human female who visited her realm," Jaune said._

"_Human female? Was it another offer to bear her child? Wait… is she still keeping up that male guise of hers?" she asked._

"_I'm afraid that Sister has already reached a point of no return," Jaune said._

"_Let's ask her!" she said._

"_Israfil, wait!" Jaune said, attempting to run after her. However, he paused. Israfil? That was the name of a Goddess. _

_Israfil spread a pair of beautiful, lustrous, rainbow-colored butterfly wings. She beat her wings, blasting a gust of wind into Jaune's face._

"D_amnit!" Jaune said, spreading a pair of violet draconic wings and following her._

_The path to their sister was a long and winding one and in Jaune's opinion was rather beautiful if not a bit too bright. A mass of islands flew past Jaune, making him believe one thing about this._

_This is Anima, Jaune thought as he flew past an island. _

_But there was one thing Jaune noticed about his surroundings that made him reconsider his train of thought. He had no sense of what was above or what was below. There was no left and there was no right. Everywhere he looked. There was only a colorful sea of emptiness stretching in all directions and possibly beyond infinity itself._

"_Come on! Or I'll tell your girlfriend that her lover is losing his ground!" she said as she flew faster._

"_Hey!" Jaune said, flying after her. He easily caught up, leveling out right next to Israfil._

"_So, is she still sore about that entire thing that went down on Earth," Israfil asked, not looking at him._

"_She is. I guess having the very things she loved betray her is taking a heavy toll," Jaune said._

"_I loved them too. But… what you did. What they did, what she did," Israfil said. _

"_I don't know... all I know is that she feels guilty about it__," Jaune said, not sure where the words were coming from. _

"_Hmm," Israfil said. "We're here."_

_Jaune wouldn't be lying if he didn't think that this place he was in was the brightest place in the entire world. A massive island, that from the air, looked like how large Sanus appears on the world map. The island was devoid of large structures and large plant life__. Just a small house next to a large clear lake with a large maple tree in the middle._

_The two landed in front of the cabin. Israfil skipped over to the door and began knocking._

"_Mikael!" Israfil said._

"_Leave me alone," a voice said from the other side._

"_I brought Sammy!" Israfil said. Jaune quirked an eyebrow. Was she referring to him?_

"_Mikael! Open the damn door!" Jaune said, banging his fist on it._

"_Sammy…?"_

_Jaune's heart clenched. She sounded so weak. So guilty. So unsure of herself. Why did he feel so bad for her?_

_They heard clicking before the door slowly opened. Jaune's eyes widened upon seeing who it was. There was a woman, slightly shorter than he was. She had long, sunkissed blonde hair. It was tied in a braid with a blue ribbon hanging at the end. There was a white ribbon tied around her head and her bangs framed her face. She wore golden robes decorated with shimmering stars that glistened every time she fidgeted with her robe._

"_Sammy…," she said, her golden eyes dimming. Jaune noticed that every star in the sky dimmed significantly as her mood dropped._

"_Mii," Jaune said._

"_Did I mess up? Was I a bad mother?" Mii asked._

"_Mii," Jaune looked at her with pity. A stream of iridescent tears fell from her face._

"_Why? Why did they do that? I loved them. I still love them. We gave them everything. Nourishment. Affection. Our guidance. And they took that. The gift you gave them. They took that and tried to kill us," Mii said._

"_Mii, you're not a bad mother," Jaune said._

"_THEN WHY!?" she screamed._

_Israfil and Jaune took a step back as the entire world shook. A golden aura surrounded her, incinerating the grass around them._

"_WHY!? WHY DID THAT WOMAN HAVE TO-!" the aura died down and she fell to her knees sobbing. "I shouldn't have done it… I should've brought him back. Maybe… maybe she wouldn't have gone to you and I wouldn't have had to…"_

_Jaune remained silent and instead opted to wrap his arms around the sobbing woman. She hugged him tightly and began crying into his robes_

"_Sister, you weren't a horrible mother anymore than I was a horrible father. We created them together and we both share equal blame as to what happened," Jaune said. _

_However, as his mouth said those words, all Jaune felt was confusion. What did they mean? Did they do something to their children? Who was this woman? Why did she look so much like? So much like…_

"_Alice," Jaune said. _

_The woman looked up at him, her face confused. _

"_Who's Alice?" she asked_

* * *

Jaune's eyes snapped open and he sat up. A cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he frantically looked around. He was still in the cave. A sharp pain shot through his skull as he gripped his temples in pain. His vision blurred as he fought through the pain that made its way from his skull and began to course through his body. He could barely breathe as his lungs, as well as his other organs, felt like they were being stabbed with a million Crocea Mors and shot at by the entirety of Beacon's Student Body and Staff.

As Jaune spent three agonizing minutes curled up on the cave floor, visions of his dream assaulted his mind over and over again.

Israfil.

Mii.

Woman.

The pain eventually subsided into manageable throbs. Jaune sat up and leaned against the wall, inhaling copious amounts of air. His chest heaved up and down as his vision eventually began to clear and that's when he noticed he wasn't alone.

"Isla?" Jaune said, rubbing his eyes.

"Hello, Jaune," Isla said as she tended to the fire.

Jaune looked and saw the Nevermore had returned to her nest but this time, she was cowering in the corner, hiding her chick behind her.

"How did you…?"

"Get here?" Isla finished for him. She pointed behind her and a massive pair of iridescent butterfly wings erupted from her back. He recognized them. After all, he had just seen them in his dream. The woman before him was without a doubt her.

"You're… You're…," Jaune said, pointing at her with a shaky hand.

"I am. But of course, you knew that from your dream. continue to call me Isla. It's what I go by when I'm not being… you know," Isla said.

"Am I being punished?" Jaune asked. "Have I committed a sin? I try my best to follow all your doctrines! So does my family! We even go to Church every Sunday and I know that I fall asleep while the priest is delivering his sermon and there was that one time I-!"

"Jaune," Isla said. "I'm not here to smite you. I'm just here to talk."

"Is this about my Grimm powers?" Jaune asked.

"That… and what your plans are for the future," Isla said.

"My plans?" Jaune asked her.

"Hmm, what do you want to do?" Isla asked.

"I want to be a hero," Jaune said. "To save people."

"Hmm, a simple answer I would expect from someone training to be a Huntsman. But as a person, what do you want to do? I want to know what Jaune Arc the person wants and not Jaune Arc, the Huntsman" Isla said.

"I want… I just want to make other people happy. To keep the ones I love safe. Like anyone else really. Maybe after achieving my dream of being a huntsman, I was originally going to settle down with Weiss but she kept turning me down," Jaune said.

"Hmm, love is a fickle thing," Isla said.

"Yeah, but she's not the one," Jaune said.

"Oh, I see," Isla said. "Venison?"

"Thanks," Jaune said, taking the meat.

"Continue," Isla said.

"There's this girl. Pyrrha. She has the best shade of hair. As red as the autumn leaves. Her eyes are as green as emeralds and they do this thing where they shine whenever she smiles or laughs. And I feel this yearning for her. This time that I'm away from her tears me apart… wait a second, why am I telling you all this?" Jaune said.

"I have no clue," Isla said.

"But you're a…," Jaune began.

"I know. I just wanted to hear it from your mouth. So you want a peaceful life with this girl but tell me honestly. Do you really expect man and faunus to accept you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Jaune said.

"Your powers are dangerous and they're still developing. You've barely scratched the surface of what you're truly capable of," Isla said. "You possess the power to wipe out humanity and faunuskind at the tip of your fingers. Do you expect governments to just sit back and let you run free? And then, there are people out there who would be willing to do anything to get you on their side. People who would be willing to manipulate you or force you to fight for them."

"Is this to discourage me from using or growing my power?" Jaune asked.

"Merely a warning. To prepare you for what's to come," Isla said.

"Isla," Jaune said.

"Hmm," the woman turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why did you come to Remnant?" Jaune asked.

"Because it was time. I felt that it was time. Also, I was never one to spend all my time in my realm. Being here among you is far more enjoyable than being up there with the rest of them," Isla said.

"Is something going to happen?" Jaune asked.

"You could say that," Isla said. "Which brings me to my next question."

Jaune looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to ask.

"What do you plan to do when you get back?" Isla asked.

"Oh, get back where?" Jaune asked.

"To Beacon of course," Isla said.

"I… I don't think I'll go back," Jaune said.

"Why not?" Isla asked.

"Because… I don't belong there. Everyone there is amazing and deserves to be there. Meanwhile, here I am, some random country boy whose parents run a bar just sneaks in and everything's supposed to be fine? It wasn't. I just wasn't worthy enough," Jaune said.

"Worthiness is a subjective term. While combat skill is desirable in your profession, heart is just as much a factor as skill. You wouldn't want a huntsman whose sole focus is fame and glory. Such a mentality is bound to get someone killed as well as endanger others," Isla said.

"No," Jaune replied.

"So no more talk of you not being worthy. Your reasons for joining are pure and genuine. It's admirable to want to help people but it's also wise to know that you can't save everyone," Isla said.

"I know," Jaune said, remembering his encounter with Adam. He often wondered if he should have just let the cave-in crush the Faunus instead of saving him just like Adam left Jaune to be almost killed by the basilisk.

"And what of your friends?" Isla asked.

"My friends?" Jaune asked.

"I see that you're conflicted on how to feel about them," Isla said.

"I don't know how to feel about them. On one hand, I understand how they feel but on the other, I feel hurt that one incident could drive them to feel that way about me," Jaune said.

A gunshot was heard, ringing throughout the forest. Isla and Jaune turned their heads to the opening of the cave.

"It seems we have company," Isla said.

"It's probably bandits," Jaune said, grabbing Sol and Luna.

"Come," Isla said. She spread her wings and flew out of the cave. Jaune summoned his aura wings and followed after her.

Jaune was right. It was them. The same bandits that tried to ambush him a few days prior. His fists shook in anger. One of the bandits had shot and killed a passenger while the others were holding a female down to the ground. Another bandit held who Jaune assumed to be her child back as the little boy struggled to break free.

"Disgusting," Isla said. She turned to Jaune. "What will you do?"

"I'm going to stop them," Jaune said.

He dove towards the forest floor, gripping Sol and Luna tightly. His vision went red when the bandit with brown hair's hands began to roam around the woman's body.

"Hey!" Jaune roared.

The bandits stopped and looked up. Jaune slammed the butt of Luna into the bandit's face, smashing his nose and sending him flying into the tree.

"Are you alright?" Jaune asked.

"My child!" the woman said.

"Let him go!" Jaune demanded.

"It's that kid," one of the bandits said.

"Get him!" the other bandit said.

"Run," Jaune told the woman. "I promise that I'll save your kid!"

The woman nodded and ran away as Jaune intercepted the bandit's blade. Jaune kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying into a tree.

"Don't move or I'll shoot the kid!" the bandit said, pressing the barrel of his gun to the child's head.

Jaune froze and glared at the bandit.

"Put your weapon down!" the bandit said.

Jaune didn't move.

"Do it fucktard or the kid gets it!" the bandit said.

"Okay, okay… just don't hurt him," Jaune said as he lowered Sol and Luna to the ground. "It's gonna be okay kid."

"Get him!" the bandit said. Jaune was tackled to the ground by one of the bandits. The bandit on top of Jaune pulled his head up as the bandit holding the child hostage walked over to him.

"Hey kid. Long time no see," the bandit said, smiling a gap-toothed grin.

"Fuck you," Jaune said.

"That's not ever… NICE!" the bandit said, kicking Jaune in the face.

"Let him go. You have me," Jaune said.

"Oh, I would have done that if you didn't just fucking insult me," the bandit said.

"Are you that petty to kill a child over an insult!?" Jaune screamed.

"I've killed for less," the bandit said. He pushed the kid to his knees and placed the barrel of his gun to the back of the kid's head.

"Now, tell him everything's going to be okay," the bandit said.

Jaune gritted his teeth and glared at the bandit.

"Well?" the bandit said, grinning.

"It… it's going to be okay, kid! You're going to be okay!" Jaune said, trying to reassure him.

The kid began to cry as the bandits began laughing. Jaune glared at the bandit, a violet glow burning faintly in his eyes. The bandit grinned and cocked his pistol Just as he was about to pull the trigger, something happened.

Jaune and the other bandits' eyes widened as he exploded in a bloody shower of gore. Pieces of his bones, flesh, and organs flew everywhere, staining the dirt crimson.

Taking advantage of their disbelief, Jaune elbowed the guy on top of him and grabbed Sol and Luna. He grabbed the child and began to run.

"He's getting away!" one of the bandits said.

"He just made Azul fucking explode!" another said.

"Kid" Jaune said as he carried him. "Can you run?"

The kid nodded fearfully in his arms.

Jaune stopped and put him down. He transformed Sol and Luna into Eclipse and readied himself.

"Go! I'll hold them off! RUN!"

The little boy nodded fearfully and ran off into the forest.

"Kill him!"

Jaune raised his sword and parried one of the bandit's attacks. He brought the flat of his blade up and slapped the bandit into a tree.

Sensing another attack from behind, Jaune formed an aura arm and intercepted it, grabbing the bandit by the arm and throwing him against a tree.

Jaune dodged as another bandit swiped at him with a large pistol-knife hybrid. Jaune raised Eclipse to deflect another swipe before kicking him in the stomach and slashing Eclipse at him, slicing through his aura like butter.

Jaune formed several aura fists and threw them at the bandit knocking him unconscious.

A force slammed Jaune into a tree. He groaned and looked up, seeing a bandit with his fists encased in rocks.

_His semblance?_ Jaune thought as he formed an aura barrier to block his attacks. His eyes widened when the attacks broke through. The man punched Jaune in the face before grabbing his throat.

"That's a nifty semblance you got there," the bandit said. "We underestimated you the other day but now. Now we got you."

The bandit pulled out a knife.

Jaune choked as he tried beating on the rock fists with no effect. The bandit laughed and brought the knife to stab Jaune in the gut.

Jaune's eyes flashed violet as he grabbed the man's armored hand and vaporized it. The man's eyes widened as he took a step back. Jaune fell to the ground, coughing.

"AHHHHH!"

Jaune looked up and saw a bloody stump where the man's arm was.

"YOU BASTARD!" the man said, running at Jaune with the knife raised, his adrenaline kicking in and numbing his pain.

Jaune's hands fumbled for a weapon and grabbed one of the bandit's pistol knives. As the one-armed bandit brought the knife down, Jaune thrust the blade into the bandit's chest, piercing the last of his aura and burying it deep in his heart.

The bandit looked at him in horror before he stumbled back and dropped his knife. He collapsed, falling on his back.

Jaune sat there with wide eyes, breathing heavily and looking at what he had done. His vision swam as he felt bile rise to his mouth. He ran to the nearest bush and began to vomit his stomach contents.

"I'm a monster…," Jaune said, falling to his knees and clutching his head.

"Jaune!" Isla landed behind him and saw the carnage.

"Isla… I killed him!" Jaune said.

"Jaune…," Isla said, kneeling next to him.

"I killed him. I killed him. I'm a monster," Jaune said, looking at his bloodstained hands.

"Jaune, you're not a monster," Isla said. "You were just defending yourself. And look on the bright side, after you allowed the kid and his mother to escape, I brought them to the town."

Jaune didn't listen, choosing instead to start scratching at his hands to get rid of the blood.

"Jaune, stop," Isla said, grabbing his hands. Her eyes glowed violet before sending calming pulses of energy into his body.

Jaune looked at her with guilt and remorse filling his eyes.

"Jaune, you were defending yourself. There was nothing else you could've done to stop him from killing you other than taking his life," Isla said.

"You're not a monster," she reassured him.

Jaune shook his head, the bandit's dying expression etched into his brain.

Isla looked at him sadly before hugging him tightly. Jaune couldn't hold it in and began crying into her chest.

"This is the sad reality of the path you took," Isla said, as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. "You'll be forced to take lives in order to protect people."

"Isn't there another way?" Jaune asked.

"I'm afraid not…," Isla said, pulling out. "You took this path. You'll have to be prepared to take more lives in order to keep people safe. From what I have observed, being a Huntsman is not just about slaying Grimm… but slaying people as well."

"I just… I just wish there was another way," Jaune said, wiping his eyes.

"I'm sorry Jaune but there isn't," Isla said.

"How do I get over this?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know," Isla said. "I don't think of death in the same way as you do. Or at least as you do now but… perhaps your friend, Maria, can help you."

Jaune nodded as he sat, keeping his knees pressed against his chest. Isla sat next to him, watching him.

"Isla," Jaune said. "Why did you ask me about what I thought of my friends?"

"Because of what's to come for you. And for Remnant," Isla said.

* * *

**Alright, so the first question you all might have is why? Why did I have Jaune know Israfil's identity early on? Israfil was created in this story for the sole purpose of being Jaune's guide when it comes to his powers. You can already tell that she knows more than she lets on about what Jaune can really do. She won't be joining Jaune, Maria, and Mae but she will be popping in and out of his dreams to continue to help him grow. Now, what was Israfil's warning? What is in store for Remnant! Find out next time on D'Arc Is Not Evil! **

**Anyone figure out why the story is called that? Also, have a pleasant quarantine. Remember to stay inside!**


	14. Arc 2: Domremy

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

Jaune leaned on the railing of the ship, watching the vast expanse of the ocean pass by. He watched dolphins leap alongside the boat as they cruised along the waves. The wind blew through his hair, giving him a sense of peace. Peace was what Jaune desperately needed right now after what had just occurred a few days prior.

"Are you still shaken up by what happened?"

Jaune glanced over his shoulder and saw Maria walking over to him. She placed a hand on the railing and watched as the dolphins swam without a care in the world. Without any care or notice to the inner turmoil, Jaune had bubbled up inside him.

"Yeah," Jaune said, sighing and wishing to be free of worries like the marine mammals before him.

"...," Maria looked out over the ocean. "Have I ever told you about the tragedy that occurred when I was younger?"

"No… what does that have to do with what I'm dealing with?" Jaune asked.

"It has everything to do with what you're dealing with… and besides, it's about my first kill," Maria said, looking wistfully out at the ocean.

Jaune quirked an eyebrow at her words.

"Your first kill?" Jaune asked.

"Yes," Maria said. "You see back when I was a much younger woman after the War ended, I traveled. I was eleven when I lost my parents to a battle between the forces of Vale and the forces of Mantle so what was stopping me from doing it. Besides, I wanted an escape and traveling seemed to be a great way to do it. One day when I was traveling, I came across an old hunter. A veteran of the war. He didn't do much but he had saved me from being torn apart by the grimm. I was so enthralled and captivated by the strength he possessed that I asked him to train me."

"What was his name?" Jaune asked.

"Gehrman," Maria said.

"That doesn't sound like a name that makes color come to mind," Jaune said.

"It doesn't… his name was a reference to an old Mantle Ritual meant to ward off evil spirits. He was born prior to the Great War so the color naming rule didn't exist yet. Anyway, I begged him, followed him around and such and he eventually gave in and began training me. My weapon of choice was similar to his. A scythe," Maria said.

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

"War does things to people and I lost my master not two years after I met him," Maria said.

* * *

_A young woman with pitch-black hair and sparkling silver eyes walked with a hop in her step. Her blue cloak over a dark blue tunic with a laced cincher that wrapped around the waist. The tunic opened at the top to reveal a white button-up shirt. She had a teal skirt and dark brown boots. She turned around and grinned as a middle-aged man with greying hair and a top-hat walked behind her with a slight smile on his face. _

_He wore a black leather coat with a brown vest and white shirt underneath. His trousers were black and had a brown combat boot on his right leg. His left leg was nothing more than a metal peg leg which made him hobble slightly as he walked. Around his shoulder was a tattered mantle._

"_Slow down there Maria," he said._

"_But Gehrman! I'm hungry and you said that we can eat when we get to the next town so we better hurry it along!" Maria said._

"_Kids these days," Gehrman muttered as he walked behind her. His dull gold eyes twinkled in amusement as he watched his protege run ahead of him._

"_What's this town like?" Maria said, glancing over her shoulder._

"_Hmmm… the town is called Season of Yearning," Gehrman said as he caught up to Maria. "It's where I grew up."_

"_Oooohhh, so this is your hometown huh?" Maria grinned. "Got anyone special here?"_

"_I did once. Long ago," Gehrman said. "But war is a cruel thing. We fought side by side together and in the end, she ended up dying in my arms."_

"_What was her name?" Maria asked, feeling her master's sullen mood._

"_Mary. Her name was Mary," Gehrman said._

"_Kind of like my name except different," she said, noticing the similarities. "Is that why you accepted?"_

"_No, I accepted because I saw myself in you. We were both shaped by loss and that pushed us to become stronger," Gehrman said._

"_Hmm, so how much further?" Maria asked, placing her hands behind her head._

"_Not much further...," Gehrman stopped and his hand flew towards his weapon of choice. A collapsible scythe that doubled as a scimitar. His golden eyes scanned the surroundings._

"_Maria," he said. Maria noticed the sudden change in her master's voice. That voice meant there was danger. Her hands drifted down to her kamas, readying them for combat._

"_Well, well, well, if it isn't the Black Reaper of Vale," a voice said from the shrubbery._

"_That voice… have we met?" Gehrman said, drawing his scimitar. _

"_Have we met? Do you hear this guy?" a man walked out of the bushes, wearing a white uniform with the symbol of Mantle embroidered on his left sleeve. He had black hair with grey streaks, showing his age. On his left eye was an eye patch and there was a jagged scar running down the left side of his face. He grinned as his lone eye stared at Gehrman._

"_I'm sorry… have we met?" Gehrman asked._

"_Tch! Battle of Vacuo Dessert. The final battle of the Great War," he said._

"_... Heinrich Schwarz," Gehrman said._

"_Ah, so you do remember me. Do you remember what you did to my face?" Heinrich asked._

"_Of course, I do. I cut it open after you killed Mary," Gehrman said._

"_Hehehe, well, I'm going to pay you back for my eye hundred-fold by starting with that girl over there," Heinrich said, licking his lips as he eyed Maria. _

_Maria felt nothing but disgust as the man practically licked her body in its entirety with his eyes. Her eyes glowed as she glared at him._

"_Come on out boys!" Heinrich called as a bunch of men in white and blue uniforms all walked out and surrounded them._

"_You need a bunch of Mistrali and Atlesian thugs to deal with an old man and his teenage student?" Gehrman asked._

"_KILL HIM AND GET ME THE GIRL!" Heinrich said. The men charged at them. Maria lazily tilted her head and kicked one of the thugs away. She parried a blow from a sword and flipped over him, hooking his collar with her kama and threw him into a tree. She activated the gravity dust bracelets on her arm and threw one of her kamas, using its blunt end to knock another one out._

_Over on Gehrman's end, the men were reduced to bloody ribbons as his scythe sliced through aura. One of the men snuck up behind him and tried to slice his head off but was met with nothing but air as Gehrman appeared behind him. _

"_You're but a novice. You can't even control your aura properly," Gehrman whispered as his scimitar went through the man's chest. He pulled it out and quickly dodged as Heinrich drew a rapier and attempted to impale him. Gehrman easily batted the sword aside, showing quick speed despite his leg injury. _

"_RAAAH!" Heinrich unleashed a hail of lightning from his rapier, causing Gehrman to dodge. He slammed his peg leg into Heinrich's chest, sending him stumbling back. Channeling aura into his legs, Gehrman became a blur as he shot past Heinrich, and rested his scimitar next to his side. _

_Heinrich's aura shattered in that instant as blood sprayed from his shoulder._

"_Damn you!" Heinrich said as he gripped his shoulder._

"_It's over. Go home. Hasn't the war done enough?" Gehrman asked._

"_No! I will kill you-!" Heinrich was silenced as Maria slammed the butt of her kama into the side of his head._

_She looked down at him in distaste. Maria turned over to Gehrman and saw him on one knee, panting._

"_Gehrman!" she said._

"_Hehe, I'm getting too old for this," he said. "I used up too much aura in that final strike to shatter Heinrich's."_

"_Are you sure you'll be okay?" Maria asked._

"_Yeah, let's go before the Grimm get here," Gehrman said._

_Neither of them noticed as they walked past Heinrich's supposedly unconscious body as he reached for a pistol at his side. He pulled it and aimed the gun at Maria. He grinned as his fingers made to pull the trigger._

_At that moment, every hair on Gehrman's body stood on end. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly shoved Maria out of the way. Maria's eyes widened as a gunshot rang throughout the clearing. She looked up horrified as a bullet passed through her teacher's chest, collapsing his left lung. Gehrman coughed as blood came out of his mouth and fell to the ground. He didn't move as blood poured from his chest._

"_Ma...r…," she looked at him and saw Gehrman's hand moving._

"_GEHRMAN!" Maria ran over to him, lifting his body and placing him on his back._

"_Mar..ia," he wheezed as blood poured out of his mouth._

"_Come on, Gehrman! You gotta tell me what to do!" Maria said as she frantically applied pressure on his chest wound. "Come on, wake up!"_

_Gehrman's eyes weakly opened as he smiled, grabbing her hand weakly._

"_Gehrman?" Maria asked as tears began to pour down her face. He kept smiling at her as his eyes finally closed and he stopped breathing._

"_Gehrman?" Maria shook him slightly. "Wake up… please… wake up. Dad… please don't leave me… you're all I have left…"_

"_HAHAHA! This is better!" _

_Maria turned her gaze to Heinrich, who was gripping his pistol with his uninjured arm._

_Her vision turned red as she grabbed her kama and screamed. She ran towards Heinrich, who now turned to her and emptied his clip at Maria. Maria, in a blind rage, dodged the bullets using her semblance and stood before Heinrich with her kama raised. _

_Heinrich pissed himself when he saw her rage-filled silver eyes. She stared at him in a manner similar to a predator looking down at its prey moments before it went in for the killing blow. Maria raised her kama with the intent of decapitating him_

"_Wait! Please no! Spare me-!" his ramblings were cut short as Maria brought her sickle down on his skull. She pulled the blade out with a sickening squelch as her bloodlust wore off._

* * *

Jaune looked at Maria sadly as she finished.

"What happened after?" Jaune asked.

"I killed the rest in cold blood. The worst part was I enjoyed it. They took the man who taught me everything and was the closest thing I had to a second father," Maria said. "Was I disgusted with myself afterward? I was. Had recurring nightmares of Gehrman's death and the faces of those men that I killed. I can't tell you that it will ever go away because it doesn't. Nearly seven decades later and I still remember them. But," Maria said, turning to him. "Killing will get easier… that's the harsh truth about it. At one point, you won't even bat an eyelash."

"...," Jaune remained silent as she spoke those words.

"However," Maria said. Jaune raised an eyebrow at that.

"What separates us from the monsters is that we regret every life we take. Tell me Jaune, when you killed that bandit, did you enjoy it?" Maria asked.

"No, it felt horrible," Jaune said.

"Then you're already on the right track. So long as you regret what you've done and you never drew any pleasure from it, you'll be fine. Remember, killing should always remain as a last resort," Maria said.

* * *

Jaune, Maria, and Mae stepped off the boat. Jaune sighed as he walked onto the docks, stretching.

"Finally, weeks on the road. No change of clothes. Bathing in a river the entire time we're not in a town! I'm ready for a shower and everything!" Jaune said as he walked out of the docks.

Arcadia was a small island, located outside of Vale and west of the island of Patch where Signal Academy was located. The island was sparsely populated, containing more wildlife than people or Grimm. The low number of terrestrial grimm made Arcadia a relatively safe place to live. The only threats here were bears, nevermore, and the occasional Megalodon that the resident hunters would fight during fishing trips.

Domremy, itself, wasn't a very large town to begin with. It was a town where everyone knew your name and word traveled fast depending on what happened. With a small population of 1250 people, secrets were hard to keep. The town was rather modern for a town so far out to sea. They had their own CCT tower that they used to communicate with other towns and the mainland, several new buildings, and even a large mall located in Domremy's center.

Jaune's home of a tavern was located in the more outer portions of the town. Their family lived a life of simplicity, running a business on top of raising several children. But it was a life Jaune would not give up anything for and rather enjoyed. He could only imagine the amount of stress that came with living like a Schnee and the mere thought of it made him shiver in discomfort.

As Jaune walked through the town with Maria and Mae, several of the townsfolk waved as they passed by. Kids ran past them, all greeting Jaune.

"Quite popular aren't ya?" Maria said.

"Popular? No, I was a loser if anything," Jaune said. "I guess it's probably the fact that I'm one of the only people from the island that left to become a hunter and came back."

"Hmm. Do hunters usually not come back to Arcadia?" Maria asked.

"No, most of them stay out on the mainland except for a few which include Mom and Dad," Jaune said.

After a few more minutes of walking with Mae's eyes sparkling as they passed several stands for what Jaune assumed was for the festival, they arrived. The Fleur De Lis Tavern was, in Jaune's opinion, a pretty humble dive bar. Nothing like the ones he had seen back in Vale. It was a simple three-story brick building located on the outskirts of Domremy that had once been an apartment until his parents sunk their life savings into it. The first floor was a bar that served customers during the day and the upper floors were the living areas for the Arcs. Walking up the steps, Jaune opened the doors and was immediately greeted.

"ARC!"

"Look who's home!"

"Ey Jaune! Serve us up a cold one will ya?"

Jaune smiled sheepishly as the bar patrons all got up and swarmed him.

"Hey, guys! Long time no see," he said.

"ENOUGH!"

Heat washed over the entire room as a potent aura forced all the patrons, Jaune, Maria, and Mae to freeze.

"Get back to drinking," the voice said. The crowd parted to reveal Jeanne, who was smiling and shaking her head. Her eyes turned to Jaune, Maria, and Mae.

"You made it!" Jeanne said, walking over and giving Jaune a hug.

"I'm home, Mom," Jaune said.

Jeanne smiled as she pulled away.

"And in time for the festival too," Sieg walked out of the kitchen, carrying several trays of food and placing them on the tables.

"JAUNE! I MISSED YOU~!" a brunette missile crashed into Jaune's stomach as he stumbled back a few steps and saw a girl about as old as Ruby hugging him tightly.

"Catherine," Jaune said, stroking her hair softly.

"I haven't seen you since you crashed your funeral Big Brother!" she said, smiling brightly. Her red eyes sparkled to the brim with joy as she looked up at him.

"Mhm! Have you been doing well in school, Kitty Cat?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah! I'm at the top of my class in terms of grades! And mom and dad decided to sign me up for Signal Academy!" Catherine said, her yellow and green hair ties jingling as she shook with excitement.

"Signal?" Jaune asked, eyeing his parents.

"Yeah, they decided that since you and Alice became hunters, there was no stopping us if me, Petra, Jacinthe, and Jade wanted to be hunters too," Catherine said.

"I see," Jaune said.

"Catherine, why don't you go help your father with our guests?" Jeanne said.

"But mom!" Catherine pouted.

"You can talk with your brother later. Right now, I need to show him where his friends are going to be staying for the time being," she said. Jeanne glanced at her son and beckoned for them to follow. Jaune nodded and ruffled Catherine's hair.

"I'll see you later then," Jaune said as he, Maria, and Mae followed Jeanne through a door. The four ascended a set of stairs and onto the second floor. The second floor of the Fleur De Lis was quite inviting. Upon entering, the four found themselves inside a living room with a TV and a couch with two armchairs next to them. There was a small fireplace that wasn't lit.

"This way," Jeanne said as she led them up another set of stairs.

"Hey, Mom, where are Petra and the others?" Jaune asked.

"Petra is out at her friend's house while Jade and Jacinthe are taking naps. Ah, here," Jeanne opened a door, revealing a rather large room with a bed and a desk. There was a set of chairs inside and a bathroom.

"Since this used to be an apartment, my husband and I had to modify the rooms a bit. They're larger than what you would have for your standard bedroom but we removed all the oddities like a kitchen and stuff," Jeanne said.

"I take it this room is for me?" Maria asked. Jeanne smiled and nodded. Maria walked in and immediately walked over to the bed where she sat down.

"Jaune, can you show Mae where she'll be staying while I get Maria comfortable here?" Jeanne asked.

"Sure mom. Come on Mae," Jaune said, taking her hand. Mae nodded and followed. Jaune led her down the hallway to another room that was next to a door with the words Petra on it. Jaune opened the door to reveal a similar room.

"This is where you'll be staying while we're here," Jaune said.

"It's big!" Mae said, walking inside.

Jaune smiled as she explored the room.

"Hey, Jaune?" Mae asked.

"Hmm?" Jaune looked down at her.

"You have a nice family," Mae said.

"Thanks, Mae," Jaune said, ruffling her hair. "But you want to know something?"

"What is it?" Mae asked.

"You and Maria have become my family too," Jaune said.

"Really?" Mae asked with wide eyes.

"Yup! You're like my little sister and Maria's the annoying grandma," Jaune said, poking her forehead. Mae giggled, rubbing the spot on her head that Jaune poked.

"Well, get some rest cause we're going to go head out later for the Festival," Jaune said, smiling.

Mae nodded, yawning and Jaune left the room to let the little fox faunus get a much-needed nap.

* * *

Pyrrha stood at the railing of the ship, smiling as the fresh ocean breeze hit her face. She looked down and saw dolphins occasionally jumping alongside the boat as they cruised along the waves with the cries of seagulls above them.

"Ready to get to my home island?"

Pyrrha turned around and saw Alice walking up to her.

"Yeah. I… want to see where you and Jaune grew up," Pyrrha said.

"There's not much to tell about Arcadia and its lone town of Domremy," Alice said, looking out towards the sea.

"NORA PUT THAT DOWN!"

The two glanced over their shoulders and saw Ren chasing after Nora, who had managed to steal a large bottle of syrup from the kitchen ship. Alice chuckled at their antics, having grown used to the shenanigans of her brother's team. She smiled wistfully.

"Hey, was it really a good idea to bring her?" Alice asked, her eyes drifting over to Blake. "It's not that I don't trust her. I'm just worried that… she might tell the others about Jaune when we get back."

"Blake… you don't have to worry about. She's good at keeping secrets," Pyrrha said.

"I hope you're right about that," Alice said, focusing on the small piece of land that was slowly getting closer and closer.

"Is that?" Pyrrha asked as she spotted the island.

"Yup, that's the island of Arcadia. Home to the lone seaside town of Domremy," Alice said.

"It kind of reminds me of my home."

The two turned to see Blake walking up next to them. She gave the two a smile that Pyrrha returned. Alice was a bit more hesitant and preferred to give her one back. Blake slightly deflated on the inside at Alice's reaction but completely understood why. She was part of the team that made her brother's life a living hell and she had to live with that. The best Blake could do was try and make up for what her team did.

"You're from Menagerie right?" Alice asked.

"Y- yeah," Blake said. "The sea breeze reminds me of it."

An awkward silence passed between the three as Blake tried to think of something to say to Alice.

"Hey," Alice began. Blake looked at her. "I know that I haven't been treating you in a friendly manner due to the fact that you're associated with the team that killed my brother but… I… want to know if you were involved in anything they did to him right now."

Blake looked down at the white caps created by the boat's movement.

"I wish… I could have done more to help him…," Blake said.

"What do you mean by that?" Alice asked, her gaze making Blake feel extremely uncomfortable. Her stare wasn't normal. Blake could see a faint golden light inside Alice's eyes.

Blake gulped as she continued. "I was a coward. I… I couldn't stand up to my teammates until… until it was too late just like I am with everything in my life."

Alice remained silent, tearing her gaze off Blake and towards the docks.

"What would you do… if you had a second chance?" Alice asked.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"Suppose my brother survived his ordeal and was waiting for us at my house, what would you do?" Alice asked. Pyrrha glanced at Blake, sending her a reassuring smile to at least try and put the cat faunus's nerves at ease.

"I would hug him and beg for his forgiveness. And after that, I'll… I'll...," Blake said.

"You'll what?" Alice asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'll tell him how I feel! I'll confess my feelings to Jaune!" Blake said, her cheeks turning red.

Blake had said this last bit loudly. Louder than she intended to. Everyone on the deck froze. Nora stopped running and looked at Blake with an open mouth. Her partner, Ren, was equally as shocked but did much better at hiding his surprise. Alice looked at Blake with wide eyes as she tried to comprehend what she just said.

Pyrrha, however, had a much different reaction. She smiled but it wasn't like her usual smiles. This smile was hollow and filled with murderous intent that began to leak off the red-headed spartan.

"That sounds… grand," Pyrrha forced the words out of her mouth like bile. "I'm… happy that you're able to come forth and confront your feelings… Blake!"

"I know that you have feelings for Jaune, Pyrrha and I respect them but I can't stand around! If Jaune was alive, I would confess how I feel because I have feelings for him too!" Blake said, placing a hand on her chest. "That's why I answered the way I did. If given a chance, I will try and win Jaune's heart!"

Alice began to back away as Pyrrha's eyes darkened, glaring at Blake. Blake, who had been in more than enough life-and-death situations, ignored the danger before her and stared defiantly back at Pyrrha. She was nothing to Blake.

_Adam and Alice definitely have worse glares than Pyrrha_, Blake said, glaring back at Pyrrha.

"Um, guys?" Alice got in between them.

"No Alice… I want to hear what else Blake has to say," Pyrrha said.

"What else do I have to say? I like Jaune… no, I think it's more than that and besides what does it matter? Jaune's dead remember?" Blake said.

Pyrrha clenched her fists, holding in her rage and constantly reminding herself that she had Jaune all to herself. No one would come in between them, not even Blake. A part of her wanted to scream at Blake, revealing Jaune's existence and declaring their relationship in front of the entire world so that they would know that Pyrrha Nikos had marked her territory but… she bit her tongue and kept silent.

"Um, Alice, we've docked," Ren said, tapping her shoulder. Alice sighed in relief.

"Look, let's get our luggage and head into the docks. Mom and Dad are waiting for us to get off so let's not keep them waiting," Alice said.

Pyrrha and Blake huffed before nodding and following Alice back into the rooms.

Team PRAN plus Blake all got off the ship and headed into the docks. Alice looked around for her parents, looking for any sign of them among the crowd.

"BIG SISTER!"

Alice stumbles forward as she feels a weight crash into her spine. She turns around and sees the familiar brown hair of her younger sister Catherine.

"Kitty Cat! How have you been?" Alice hugged her tightly.

"Mom and Dad enrolled me in Signal! They said that since you and Jaune both left to be hunters that… me and the others would eventually follow so they enrolled me!" Catherine said. "Now I can run a bar and hunt!"

"That's great!" Alice said, ruffling her hair.

"Alice!"

The group turned to see Jeanne and Sieg walking in their direction with a luggage cart. Sieg smiled as he offered to help place their bags on the cart. Ren nodded and picked up his and Nora's bags, placing them inside the cart. Pyrrha and Blake thanked Alice as she used her semblance to place their bags on top of Nora's and Ren's.

"Hey… Alice?" Catherine asked.

"Yes?" Alice glanced over at her.

"Why are those two glaring at each other?" she asked, glancing back at Pyrrha and Blake, who were sending each other not-so subtle glares.

"It's what girls do when they're in love with the same boy," Alice answered with a sigh.

The ride to the Fleur De Lis was a short one as Pyrrha marveled at the simplicity of life on this island. Sitting in the bed of the Arc Pickup Truck, Pyrrha looked out onto the streets. There were no worries here. Everyone seemed completely carefree and had freedom that she lacked. Back on the mainland and on Anima, Pyrrha's celebrity status had followed her everywhere she went. Going to Beacon, she thought she could escape but her first steps onto the campus destroyed those very thoughts. But ever since she stepped foot on the Island of Arcadia and rode into the sleepy town of Domremy, no one mentioned Pyrrha's celebrity status. There was no nervous air whenever she passed by someone on the docks. Everyone said hi to her whenever she greeted them like a normal person greeting someone else and she was elated. Pyrrha could definitely see herself retiring here after she married Jaune. Possibly even take over the family business.

_Wait.. Nikos, what are you thinking? You aren't even past the handholding and kissing stage and you're already thinking of marriage!_ Pyrrha slapped her cheeks to calm herself down and opted to look at her teammates. Alice was happily chatting with her sister which was no surprise there.

Nora and Ren were looking at the island and its inhabitants with some… sadness in their eyes. Being in a place that reminded them of Jaune brought good memories to the forefront of their minds. Unfortunately, those nostalgic memories with their goofball of a team leader only served to torture them instead.

"We're here!" Jeanne said, looking at them through the window. The three-story brick building that was located on the outskirts of town. Pyrrha noticed a few vehicles parked outside of the building.

"Is it a slow day for you guys?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes, everyone would rather be at home preparing for the festival and we close later at 5 so that we can get ready too," Jeanne said, helping them off the truck. Alice used her semblance and grabbed everyone's bags and placed them on the ground.

"Welp… Welcome to the Fleur De Lis!" Alice said. "This is where you'll be staying for the foreseeable future of one week!"

"Wow, it's so big," Blake said.

"It used to be an apartment complex until Mom and Dad sunk the majority of their life savings into it and turned it into a bar after they retired," Alice said. "Come on! I'll show you to your rooms."

"So you guys run a business on the first floor?" Blake asked as they entered the house and ascended to the third floor.

"Yeah, grew up seeing these faces for the past seventeen years," Alice said.

"So you must be really close," Ren deduced.

"Yup!" Alice smiled. "Here we go!"

Alice opened the door.

"Ren, Nora, this is your room!" Alice said.

"REN! BEDS!" Nora said, running inside.

"Excuse me," Ren said as he dragged his and Nora's luggage into the room.

Alice led them down the hall to another door and opened it.

"Blake, you'll be sleeping here," Alice said. Blake noticed writing on the door next to her room.

"Whose room is that?" Blake asked.

"That's Jade's room," Alice said. "Hey, get some rest. We're going to be out all night later."

Blake nodded with a smile as she entered the room.

"And last but not least!" Alice opened a door and shoved Pyrrha inside.

"Huh! Alice wait!"

It was too late. Alice had already slammed the door shut behind her.

"Alice!" Pyrrha said, banging her fist on the door.

"Sorry Pyrrha but you two need some alone time," Alice's voice said through the door.

"Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha froze and turned. There, sitting on the bed was her boyfriend.

"Jaune?"

"Long time no see," Jaune said.

Pyrrha nodded and ran over to him, embracing him as the couple kissed for the first time in weeks.

* * *

**So I decided to split the Festival Chapter up into two parts. This first part is just them arriving on the island and the aftermath of Jaune's first kill while the second will be the Festival itself. Blake will meet Jaune again in the next chapter, don't you worry your pretty little heads over it. Also, once this Arc is over, there will be a rapid shift in the story. It will get progressively darker as we go on with some light comedic moments sprinkled here and there to give you all a relief from the slightly dark undertones that'll start appearing. I say slightly because I don't know what qualifies as dark for most of you. Anyway, that was me. I hope you're all safe and healthy! Have a great day/night or not! The choice is yours~!**


	15. Arc 2: The Festival of Israfil

**I don't own RWBY. RWBY and all its affiliates are owned by the late Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Arc Household, Domremy**

* * *

Jaune lay in bed, his head lying comfortably in Pyrrha's lap as she softly stroked his hair. Pyrrha sat in contentment as she played with Jaune's blonde locks. She couldn't find a more perfect way to spend her break. Time away from the press. Time away from Beacon. Time away from team RWBY. Well, most of team RWBY at least. Pyrrha had invited Blake with them out of goodwill and the fact that she was one of the only members of Team RWBY who never did anything to hurt Jaune. Then again, one could make the argument that Ruby never did anything to hurt Jaune as well but in Pyrrha's mind, Ruby merely became the bystander and caved in to the pressure of Yang, Weiss, and the rest of the student body.

Ren and Nora were also here because the two and Jaune were in the process of repairing their broken relationships with each other and Pyrrha thought that now was the perfect opportunity to turn over a new leaf. She hummed a small tune that her mother had sung to her every time she had a nightmare as she began to plan out how to gently reveal to Ren and Nora, and possibly Blake about Jaune's survival.

Blake. The name brought mixed feelings to Pyrrha's mind. On one hand, Pyrrha felt sorry for the girl. She felt that she and Jaune would have gotten along well and the fact that she helped him from the shadows placed the faunus on her good side. She felt that it was only right to let Blake know that Jaune was alive. However, ever since the revelation on the boat that Blake harbored secret feelings for Jaune, dark feelings began to stir in Pyrrha's heart which she desperately tried to fight down. The thought of Blake seducing and taking Jaune for her was something she feared greatly.

_What… what if she takes Jaune from me? What if Jaune gets bored of me and goes to Blake? What if… he had secret feelings for her this whole time?_ Pyrrha's mind continued to spout delusions born from her fear and jealousy. Feelings that could be felt by the blonde boy that lay on her lap.

Jaune looked up and saw the troubled look in Pyrrha's eyes.

"Pyr? You alright?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha blinked. She looked down and saw Jaune's concerned look. Pyrrha smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing. Just wondering how we're going to tell Ren, Nora, and Blake that you're well… alive," Pyrrha said.

"Oh right," Jaune said as he sat up. He placed his hand on his chin. "We probably should figure out a way to break this to them without… you know."

Pyrrha nodded. She leaned her head on Jaune's shoulder as the two began to think of a… soft way to break it to them. The two deliberated a few ideas before sighing in frustration.

"Hmm, what was wrong with the 'I wait for you guys at a booth' idea?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune… that's literally going to give them a heart attack if they just see you with no lead-up or no explanation from me or Alice," Pyrrha said.

"I mean… I guess?" Jaune answered.

Pyrrha sighed and then blinked. "We just had our first disagreement…"

"Huh?" Jaune looked at her, curious at what she meant by that.

"We had our first disagreement as a couple!" Pyrrha said.

"And we're still together?" Jaune asked.

"Shut up you ass… not every argument ends in a break-up," Pyrrha said.

"You've been watching too many romance movies," Jaune said.

Pyrrha huffed and looked away. Jaune chuckled before lightly poking her cheek.

"So? Are you going to pout all day or are you going to tell your team leader your brilliant idea?" he asked.

"I guess… but only because you asked for it. It's not like I wanted to tell you or anything," Pyrrha said.

"The tsundere doesn't suit you," Jaune said, looking at her with a blank expression.

Pyrrha ignored him and continued. "I was thinking… it should be like your booth idea except me and Alice sit them down and tell them… everything first. And then, we call you over and then voila!"

"How is that like my booth idea?"

"It takes place in your parents' pub."

"So you guys will rent one of the booths then?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha nodded.

"Well, we won't be renting them per se… I'll probably get Alice to get us the booth for free," Pyrrha said.

"Freeloader," Jaune mumbled as he began to play with her hair.

"After this, will you come back with us to Beacon?" Pyrrha asked, ignoring his comment.

Jaune paused for a minute. He looked down and gripped his pants.

"I…," Jaune began.

"It's okay. You don't have to answer now. After all, we have all week to be together and all week for you to think of an answer," Pyrrha said.

Jaune looked at her and nodded in appreciation.

"Yeah. We should enjoy this while we can," Jaune said.

* * *

Sieg stood on the other side of the bar, talking to one of the customers. He grabbed a bottle of beer and poured it into the glass. He slid it down the counter down to a customer, who waved in appreciation.

"Never thought a hunter as renowned as you would be here running a bar of all things."

Sieg paused and turned to see Maria sitting on one of the stools.

"I'll have ice on the rocks if you don't mind," Maria said.

"Sure," Sieg said as he grabbed some ice cubes and placed it into a glass.

"You and your wife need to talk to your son. He's going through some things that I figured only a parent can help him deal with. As his teacher, I tried to the best of my ability to help but there's only so much that I can do," Maria said.

Sieg raised an eyebrow as he placed the glass in front of her.

"What happened while he was away?" he asked.

"He had his first kill," Maria said.

Sieg nearly dropped the glass he was holding and looked at Maria with wide eyes. His eyes held mixed emotions as he paused for a moment.

"How long?" Sieg asked.

"A few days," Maria said. "He doesn't show it but he's beating himself up over it. I can feel the negativity that he carries inside of him. He puts on a happy face for Mae but I can tell… he thinks he's a monster."

"Jeanne and I will go talk to him. We've… been there. Every hunter has and will. It's the one thing you never learn at Beacon. The first kill is always the worst and will always be the one that sticks with you," Sieg said.

"Hmmm," Maria said as she downed her drink.

"So what have you been teaching Jaune?" Sieg asked, trying to change the subject.

"I've been sending him through drills. Building muscle, endurance, and stuff. I'm also teaching him about semblances," Maria said.

"Like his ability to control Grimm," Sieg said.

"Jaune… he said that that's a different ability all together from his ability to control and manipulate pure aura," Maria said.

"Pure aura? Sort of like Alice's semblance. Alice can control Pure Aura as well," he said.

"Really? I've never heard of two people having the same semblance except for those of the Schnee," Maria said.

"Hmm, it's strange. Jeanne's family doesn't have a hereditary semblance that I'm aware of. Her semblance, Sunshine, isn't even remotely similar to her parents," Sieg said.

"Hmm, this is all very strange," Maria said.

Sieg nodded and got back to work.

* * *

Jaune looked in the mirror as he brushed his hair. His blue eyes flitted nervously between the mirror and Pyrrha as she sat on his bed wearing a brown sweater over a black shirt. She wore a black skirt with black leggings and tan short boots. Nyx sat comfortably in the lap of her master's mate or girlfriend as he called her, watching as Jaune kept fixing his hair in front of the mirror.

"You look great and besides, when did you ever worry about how you looked?" Pyrrha asked.

"Whenever I asked out Weiss back when I was still crushing on her," Jaune said.

"You're not crushing on her anymore are you?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I have you. Weiss is nothing more than a momentary infatuation," Jaune said.

"I didn't know that you knew what that word meant," Pyrrha teased.

"Haha, laugh it up," Jaune said.

"I'm kidding. I'll go get Ren and Nora ready with Alice," Pyrrha said as she stood.

"Wait," Jaune said. Pyrrha stopped and turned to look at him. She raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to say something.

"Can you get Blake too?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha pursed her lips, forming a thin line. Blake. Why did he have to ask? Oh right. This was Jaune she was talking to. Pyrrha sighed and nodded. She flashed Jaune a small smile.

"Yeah, sure," Pyrrha said as walked over. She planted a kiss on his cheek and left the room. Jaune sighed as he walked over and sat next to Nyx.

"What do you think, Nyxie?" Jaune said, showing her his hair.

"_I don't know why humans need to groom so often. I find it to be a waste of time, Master,"_ Nyx said.

"Well, humans have an emotion that they experience too often called Vanity and some humans are born with lots of it. I wasn't born vain but I do like to look good every now and then," Jaune said.

"_Is this one of those moments?"_ Nyx asked.

Jaune nodded. He got up and straightened his hair and stood in front of the mirror. He stared long and hard at his reflection as he tried to think of what to say when he would inevitably see the three again. Seconds turned into minutes as Jaune stood awkwardly in front of his mirror, failing to get single word out of his mouth.

"Why is this so hard?" Jaune said, sighing in frustration. "Right, cause they think I'm dead."

"Nyx, what am I supposed to say? Hey, I'm not dead sorry for making you think I was for the past month and a half when I came back and told my girlfriend I was alive but not my teammates?" Jaune said.

"_I don't know. I've never had to deal with something like this before,"_ Nyx said.

"Don't Beowolves live in packs?" Jaune asked.

"_No. Some beowolves live alone. I've been alone since I was very young and hunted on my own. I learned from the older Beowolves that I passed on how to avoid hunters,"_ Nyx said.

"I see… wait I'm supposed to be thinking of what to say not discuss pasts!" Jaune said. "Right… let's see… I got it!"

* * *

Pyrrha walked down the hall towards the rooms that Ren and Nora were staying in. She had to admit that owning an entire apartment building and having it to yourself was rather nice. It could accommodate for the size of Jaune's massive family with enough room to spare. She often wondered if their family would be this big in the future. Pyrrha shook her head and slapped her cheeks. She was getting ahead of herself again. She and Jaune had barely started to date and now she was looking years into the future. While she felt that Jaune was the right one for her, Pyrrha also knew that things might change years from now and that she needed to take things slow or she might drive Jaune away. She finally had him in her arms and ruining what she had begun to build was the last thing that she wanted to do.

As Pyrrha walked, consumed by her thoughts, she never saw the person in front of her and bumped into them. Pyrrha heard a small cry of pain and looked down to see a young faunus sitting on the ground, rubbing her head.

"Owie," she said as she rubbed her tail.

"Oh, dear. I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked as she bent down.

"Mae!"

Pyrrha looked up and saw Alice running towards them. Alice knelt next to Mae.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and I ran into her," Pyrrha said.

"It's alright Pyrrha. Mae, you okay?" Alice asked.

"Who is she by the way?" Pyrrha asked.

"This is Mae. She was there when Jaune came back to Beacon remember? The faunus?" Alice asked.

Pyrrha thought back to when Jaune returned and did remember a young faunus with pink hair that accompanied Jaune. She also remembered that there was an elderly woman with them by the name of Maria Calavera.

"Yeah, I do," Pyrrha responded. "Are you alright, Mae?"

Mae nodded and got to her feet. "I'm sorry Miss!"

"No no! It's my fault. I should be the one apologizing," Pyrrha said.

Alice smiled at the exchange and got to her feet. "I imagine that you're looking for Ren and Nora. That's why you were so focused to the point where you didn't even notice her."

Pyrrha nodded with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.

Alice sighed. "Ren and Nora are downstairs with Blake in the bar. Mom just cooked them up some food and she told me to go get you to see if you were hungry."

A large growling noise reverberated throughout the hall. Alice immediately went on guard, coating her hand in aura and shaping it into a thin blade. Mae hid behind Alice's leg as the faunus's ears twitched in an attempt to find the source of the bestial noise.

"Sorry…," Pyrrha said as she looked down.

Alice and Mae blinked and looked at Pyrrha. "That was you?" Alice asked.

Pyrrha nodded sheepishly.

"Come on. Mom made Pot Roast," Alice said as she dispelled her aura blade. She headed downstairs with Mae and Pyrrha on her heels. As they entered the main bar, she spotted Ren, Nora, and Blake seated at a booth. Nora was animatedly talking about something that Pyrrha couldn't make out from her spot but she could see the exasperated faces of Blake and Ren.

"Hey, guys!" Alice greeted as she and Pyrrha took a seat. Alice sat next to Ren and Nora while Pyrrha sat next to Blake. To say that the air in the room didn't become awkward would have been the biggest understatement of the century.

"So anyway! I had this weird dream right! We were at this tower… I think it looked like the Headmaster's office but everything was destroyed! Like destroyed-destroyed! And there was this weird woman and her eyes were on fire!" Nora said, making grand gestures.

"She's been talking about it to us for ten minutes straight… surprisingly, the details aren't changing this time," Ren said.

"That's a new one. Nora's dream stories always get retconned or new things get added to them every time she brings up the same dream," Alice commented as she grabbed some bread from the breadbasket.

Pyrrha sat in silence, thinking of how she was going to prepare them for Jaune's arrival. As she wracked her head with ideas on how, she also cursed herself for not preparing for this on the way over. She was so busy dealing with her emotions and how she felt ever since Blake revealed her feelings that she never really got a chance to prepare Ren and Nora for what was about to happen.

"Pyrrha, are you alright?"

Pyrrha snapped out of her reverie and saw Blake looking at her oddly. The faunus always had that same curious gaze that was commonly attributed to the animal which she inherited her traits from.

"I'm fine," Pyrrha said. "Just in thought about being in the same home that Jaune grew up in," Pyrrha said.

As soon as she mentioned Jaune's name, the mood visibly dropped as Ren and Nora went quiet. Blake looked down at her plate, not bothering to meet Pyrrha's gaze.

"Yeah," Ren said. "Jaune would be glad we're here at his home."

"Say… Alice. Do your parents have any cool and or embarrassing stories about your brother?" Nora asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"They do. But as you can see," Alice gestured to her parents running around and taking orders from various customers.

"Do you?" Blake asked.

"I do. But they also involve me so I might not tell them," Alice said.

"Sooo," Pyrrha said awkwardly. "Remember that question I asked Blake back on the boat."

"No," Nora said as she nibbled on a loaf of bread.

"Yes," Ren replied.

"How would you two react if I told you Jaune survived the fall and was actually training and recovering from his experience?" Pyrrha asked.

"That's oddly specific but I guess I'll answer first. First, I would apologize to Jaune for not being there for him for all the challenges and torment that he suffered at the hands of the student body of Beacon Academy. Then I would punch him for not telling us that he was alive the entire time," Ren said calmly.

"That's… expected," Alice said.

"I would hug him! Just hug him! And then break his legsh for not telling ush shjat he wash alive!" Nora said with a mouth full of bread.

"Nora, swallow your food before speaking," Pyrrha said.

Nora swallowed the massive chunk of bread that was in her mouth without choking and repeated her sentence.

"I would hug him and then break his legs. But… most of all, I would do what Ren said. We were his teammates and our job was to be there for him in his time of need. Even if we didn't like the way Jaune got into Beacon, it wasn't justified enough for us to just stand aside and watch him go through all that. And besides, he had a reason as to why he had to do it the way he did it. Wanting to get out of your parents' shadows and carve your own path. To make them proud of you and what you want to be. I felt that he genuinely wanted to help people instead of some idealistic nonsense about heroism or need to be famous," Nora said.

"Wow Nora… I never thought that you thought about me in such a way," A voice said.

Nora froze. That voice. It couldn't be. This had to be some sort of trick. Something that Pyrrha had set up to spite them all on how they had turned their backs on their team leader back at Beacon. She shakily turned around and her eyes widened significantly.

There in standing in front of their table with a tray full of drinks and food was Jaune. He was there in the flesh right in front of her. The same goofy smile. The same messy blonde hair. The same blue eyes. Even the Oum-forsaken Pumpkin Pete's Hoody albeit it looked a little worse for wear. Jaune grinned and set the tray down in front of them. The smell of food was ignored as Ren, Nora, and Blake sat there motionless.

"Jeez Jaune… have a little more grace will you?" Alice said, smiling softly.

"Well, I was going to come here and take your order but Mom called me over when I got down to bring your food over here," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head.

"J- Jaune?" Nora's eyes began to water as her hand shakily reached out for him. Ren was in a state of shock while Blake's eyes narrowed as she gazed at Pyrrha.

"JAUNE!" Nora jumped from her seat and tackled Jaune to the floor. The sound of crashing turned the heads of everyone in the pub. Jaune groaned and felt his hoodie become wet as he looked up. Nora had her arms wrapped around him as she sobbed into his hoodie. Jaune looked at her with guilt in his eyes and began to rub soothing circles on her back.

"I'm back, Nora… sorry I didn't tell you or Ren I was still kicking," Jaune said.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Ren said as he stood from his chair. His bangs cast a shadow over his eyes as he looked down at him.

"I think we should take this somewhere else," Pyrrha said, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder. Ren looked at his current team leader and saw the look on her face. Knowing that look all too well, Ren sighed and nodded before wrenching his shoulder free of Pyrrha's grip.

"Nora? I can't get up if you keep hugging me like this," Jaune said.

"NO! YOU'LL DISAPPEAR AGAIN!" Nora wailed as she tightened her hold.

"Okay! Getting… hard to breathe!" Jaune said.

"Nora, come on. We need to go talk," Pyrrha said as she tried to pull Nora off. Nora resisted and clung to Jaune. Pyrrha sighed and looked at Ren, Alice, and Blake. The four pulled hard and managed to pry the crying Nora off Jaune, allowing the poor boy to breathe and stand.

"Let's go to mine and Alice's room," Jaune said as he walked past them.

Ren remained silent as he gazed blankly at his former leader's back. Blake shot glances between Jaune and Pyrrha and followed after him. Pyrrha, seeing Blake's gaze, sighed and walked after them with the rest following behind.

As soon as they reached Jaune's room and closed the door, the air changed. Ren walked over to Jaune and slugged him in the face, causing Jaune to stumble back.

"REN!" Pyrrha grabbed his arm. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Hehe… I deserved that," Jaune said as he rubbed his cheek.

"How could you?" Ren said, quietly. "How could you sit there and pretend that nothing happened? Did it make you happy to see me and Nora suffer because of our mistakes? We blamed ourselves for weeks while you were running around doing Jibril knows what? Well? Jaune?"

Jaune looked down.

"You're right. I should've told you and Nora that I was still alive. But… part of me was afraid. I know that's not a good excuse but you have to understand. I didn't know if I could trust you two," Jaune said.

"Trust us? Jaune… how can you say that?" Nora asked.

"You two… I trusted you to have my back after Cardin exposed me after the Forever Falls incident. But… you just stood there and watched. You two didn't actively hurt me nor insult me but the both of you just stood aside and let the student body rip me apart," Jaune said.

Ren and Nora looked down. Everything he said was true. They did nothing to help him and all over a bunch of papers with nothing but words. All the shame that they felt. The guilt that they harbored. Jaune had thrown it right back at their face. He was right. How could he trust them when they didn't even stand up for him back at Beacon?

"So what… about Pyrrha?" Blake asked.

"S- She knew that I was alive the entire time. She was the first person I went to go see when I got back to Beacon," Jaune said.

"I see… and Alice?" Ren said.

"Alice and I can sense each other through a weird twin bond that we have. We can feel each other's emotions and whether or not the other is still there," Jaune said.

"So that's why she denied your death the entire time," Blake said.

"What about you, Blake? You seem to be taking this well," Alice remarked.

"I'm not… I'm just better at controlling myself. But if you want to know how I felt right now, I feel hurt and glad at the same time. Hurt that Jaune never told us he was alive and happy that he survived," Blake said.

"Blake, I never got to thank you back at Beacon for all the times you got the teachers whenever Cardin or another one of the students were… you know," Jaune said.

"I- It's nothing, Jaune," Blake said, her cheeks slightly turning red. Pyrrha caught this and walked over and gripped Jaune's hand.

"What matters is that they know," Pyrrha said.

"Wait… I still have some things to ask Jaune," Ren said.

"Ask away," Jaune said.

"Why?" Ren said.

"Why what?" Jaune asked, confused.

"Why can you sit there and not look at me and Nora with hate? How can you still see us as your friends after we abandoned you like that?" Ren asked, his voice getting louder with each word. Nora looked at Ren sadly and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Because… I don't know. I understood why everyone was so mad. I lied to get into an academy that everyone worked their ass off to get into while I just got in with a free ride so I get it," Jaune said.

"That's it?" Nora asked.

"Yeah. I'm not really one to hold grudges and besides, you two and Pyrrha. You three were my closest friends back at Beacon. It just felt natural for me I guess," Jaune said. "Jeez, that sounded so cheesy and cliche…"

"It kind of did," Blake said, giggling.

Ren shook his head and smiled. Even after all that, Jaune was still Jaune and he never changed.

"Are you coming back to Beacon?" Nora asked. Alice and Blake looked at Jaune, curious at how he was going to answer.

"I don't know yet. I'll think about it while we're here," Jaune said.

"Oh…," Nora visibly deflated. She looked disappointed but still held out hope that he would say yes. It would be nice to get the old team back together.

"How about you tell us what you did while you were away?" Ren asked.

"Okay but before I do that, I need to show you guys something, and please promise me Ren, Nora, Blake. Please promise that you won't freak out," Jaune said.

The three nodded in confusion. Jaune whistled and a small black puppy came crawling out from under Jaune's bed. The puppy sniffed the air and hid behind Jaune's leg as she peered out and looked at Nora, Ren, and Blake suspiciously.

Nora's eyes gained stars as she immediately dove for Nyx. Alice slapped her forehead and formed an aura arm to restrain Nora.

"Nora down. He just said not the freak out," Alice chastised.

"But! But! Look at it! It's so cuuuute!" Nora said.

Blake looked down at the dog, feeling apprehensive. It wasn't because she was a cat faunus or that she had a bad experience with a dog as a kid or anything. No, Blake loved animals. It was the dog's eyes. They were red. And not a normal shade of red either, no, this shade was extremely unsettling. It was almost as if that dog was a…

"Grimm," Blake whispered. Ren heard her and immediately backed away, placing his arm out in front of Blake, Alice, and Nora.

"Huh?" Jaune looked at Ren with a confused expression on his face.

"Jaune," Ren said. "T- That's a grimm isn't it?"

"Yeah. But she's friendly, see?" Jaune picked up Nyx and held her out to Ren, who looked at the Grimm puppy apprehensively.

"Jaune, I don't mean to burst your bubble but Grimm aren't known for being docile," Blake said.

"She is!" Jaune said. Nyx barked. Pyrrha walked over and took Nyx from cradled her in her arms. The grimm pup snuggled into Pyrrha's chest as the champion stroked her soft fur.

"Trust me," Pyrrha said. "I met Nyx when Jaune crashed his funeral. She's completely docile. She's unlike any Grimm I've ever seen before."

Ren and Blake looked at each other before being shoved to the side as Nora rushed past them and grabbed the grimm pup from Pyrrha. Nora rubbed her cheek against her as Nyx licked Nora's face. Ren looked at the two completely dumbfounded at what he was witnessing. A grimm puppy licking Nora's face instead of fighting tooth and claw to rip it off.

Blake was going to a similar crisis as she watched Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune all spoil the little creature with affection.

A thought crossed through both of their minds simultaneously.

_Were we wrong about them this entire time?_

After a few moments of just staring and deliberation, Blake was the first to move and walked over to them. She tentatively reached out and petted Nyx. Upon contact, she was immediately shocked and pleased at how soft the fur felt. It was softer than anything she had ever felt in her life. A smile appeared on her face as she continued stroking it.

Seeing Blake not get her hand bit off, Ren walked over to pet the grimm as well. The grimm nudged her snout against Ren's palm as he petted her.

"See. She's gentle," Jaune said.

"But how?" Ren asked. "Grimm attack humans and anything they make on sight."

"I don't know. I just woke up with it," Jaune said. "The ability to communicate and control grimm."

"Is it your semblance?" Blake asked.

"The more I think about it, the more I don't think it is. There are lots of things about it that don't add up. People can't have more than one semblance as a semblance is a manifestation of their soul but I have the power to completely manipulate aura as well as talk to grimm. I think… I think it's something else," Jaune said.

"_Your power to control the Grimm and your aura control are abilities that your mind calls semblances in an attempt to comprehend them."_

Isla's words reverberated inside Jaune's head.

Jaune shook his head as he looked at them. "Enough of that for now. Let's go out. The Festival's started already and we should enjoy the week you guys get off."

They nodded and walked out of Jaune's room.

* * *

The Festival of Israfil was a rather joyous affair. None of them except for Pyrrha and the Arcs had ever been to something so large. Even Pyrrha could say that this was better than any social function that she could ever go to. The simplicity enhanced the joy she felt as children ran around screaming. Jaune and Alice led them to the town square where a massive statue of the Goddess Israfil stood.

Many of the villagers placed bouquets at the foot of the statue while some people paused briefly to pray. The statue was a large gray statue made of stone. It was worn down, showing its age but the others could make out its features. It depicted a woman with hair tied in a bun. Two bangs framed her face, reaching past her jaw. The woman was dressed in a robe that resembled the floral pattern. A pair of massive butterfly wings extended from her back.

"Is that?" Nora asked.

"That is Israfil. The Goddess of Life. One of the Seven Principal Deities of Remnant if you don't consider the fact that the Gods of Light and Darkness are more prominently worshipped than the other five," Alice said.

"Excuse us for a moment," Jaune said as he and Alice walked up to the statue. They each pulled out a flower. Jaune placed a violet down while Alice placed down a gold daffodil. The two muttered silent prayers before nodding to each other and walking back.

"I didn't know you two were religious," Ren said.

"Eh? Well, it's not like I don't pray while I'm at Beacon," Alice said.

"She does. She does every night before going to bed," Nora said.

As the group chattered amongst themselves, Blake stared at Jaune's back and steeled herself. She needed to do this. She needed to do it now. If she didn't, her eyes drifted over to Pyrrha, who was happily talking to Jaune. A seed of jealousy planted itself deep within her heart as she stared at Pyrrha.

_That should be me talking to Jaune… Ugh! Calm down Blake. Don't let your emotions take you. It's not like Pyrrha and Jaune are dating… right?_ Blake thought as she looked down and clenched her fist.

Her eyes drifted back to Pyrrha, who laughed at something Jaune had said. She inhaled and reached out to poke Jaune's shoulder. His broad… delicious… Blake blinked.

She placed her hands on her cheek and breathed. She tapped Jaune's shoulder. He stopped and turned around.

"Jaune," Blake said, twiddling her thumbs.

Pyrrha eyed Blake suspiciously while Alice, Ren, and Nora turned to see why the others had stopped.

"Yeah. What is it Blake?" Jaune asked, his usual smile adorning his face.

Blake felt her heart start beating faster as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. She kept trying to speak but nothing would come out. It was as if the words were stuck inside her throat and refused to climb out, preferring to die within the walls of her larynx.

"I… I uh…," Blake stuttered.

"Huh?" Jaune looked at her confused. "I what?"

"I'm hungry! Do you know any good food stalls?" Blake blurted out. She saw Alice, Nora, and Ren slap their foreheads behind Pyrrha and Jaune.

Jaune blinked for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, there's this stand that serves really good fishballs. I think you'll like it."

Jaune grabbed her hand which made Blake's face turn red as he dragged her off to the stand. Pyrrha walked after them at a slow and subdued face while Alice walked next to her.

"Hmmm. It seems that your competition is starting to make her move," Alice said.

"She… I…," Pyrrha said. She was seething on the inside.

"Pyrrha. Just tell her that you're dating Jaune. It's not that hard," Alice said.

"I want to but… I feel like I'll break her if I do," she said.

"But you have to. You two will just be leading her on if you don't do anything," Alice said.

"...," Pyrrha looked ahead at the two in silence as Jaune ordered two sticks of fishballs for him and Blake.

"I'll do it when we get back to Beacon but for now… let's just enjoy the festival," Pyrrha said. Alice nodded as she grabbed Pyrrha and Nora's hands and dragged them over to Jaune and Blake.

* * *

The Festival went swimmingly for the group as they danced and played the week away. Over the week they were there, Ren and Nora got along extremely well with the villagers as well as the orphans that lived there. The two could sympathize with the children's plight about losing their parents and the matrons thanked them afterward.

Blake marveled at how there was virtually no racism against the faunus that lived in the village except for the few old people that made racist remarks here and there. This was the place she wanted to make the rest of the world like. A place where humans and faunus lived and laughed together. She could honestly see herself settling down here. A small island away from the mainland where people live like people instead of having to worry about the concerns and problems of the people in the kingdoms.

It was their second to the last day before they had to go back to Beacon. Jaune smiled as Blake and Alice got into a competition at the dart-throwing booth. Nora and Ren were at the strength tester with Nora about to destroy the machine. Jaune shuddered at the amount of damage that he had to pay for after that and prayed that Nora wouldn't go all out. He turned to Pyrrha, who ate ice cream right next to him.

"Hey, Pyrrha. There's somewhere I'd like to go with you," Jaune said. Pyrrha looked at him a bit confused and nodded. Jaune grabbed her hand and led her through the streets and out of town.

"Where are we going Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.

"Somewhere Alice and I went to a lot as kids. Trust me, you'll love it. But we have to get there before the sun fully sets," Jaune said. Pyrrha nodded as he led her through a path. Eventually, the path gave way to a cliffside, and Pyrrha's eyes widened. It was beautiful. The sky was lit up in a myriad of oranges and violets as the sun dipped over the horizon. The water reflected the color of the setting sun as a gentle breeze blew over her face.

"I loved coming here as a kid and watching the sunset. It's where Alice and I got into our stargazing hobby," Jaune said.

"It's… beautiful," Pyrrha said, marveling at the sight.

"I wanted to take you here because this place is special to me and I figured that since…the week is almost over, we'd spend a bit of time here," Jaune said.

"That's so sweet of you Jaune," Pyrrha said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

The two sat and watched the sun disappear below the horizon as day became night. Pyrrha leaned her head on his shoulder as the two began to watch the stars slowly appear in the sky. Remnant's Moon watched over the two, casting its faint white light on the couple as they sat there in comfortable silence.

Pyrrha lamented at the fact that Beacon only gave them a week. She would be separated from Jaune again the day after tomorrow if he didn't accept it. Her green eyes glanced at the side of his face which was solely focused on the ever-expanding sky above them.

"Jaune? Remember what I asked you at the beginning of the week?" Pyrrha said.

Jaune looked at her as she moved her head off his shoulder.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Have you thought of a response?"

"Yes, I have," Jaune said. Pyrrha's eyes widened as Jaune told her his answer.

* * *

**HAHA! I know the lot of you thought I died or something but no! I LIVE! NOT EVEN THE GENTLE SIMPLE SAILOR AND COLLEGE CAN KILL ME! HAHAHA! Anyway, I know you all waited for this chapter to come out so here it is! The ending might not be up to your standards so allow me to explain! I shall create a poll that will determine the future arc because I have drafted up two ways the plot could go and I like both so I decided to let you, my lovely audience, decide which one I should pick!**

**Path 1: Jaune goes back with them to Beacon and is either A. Placed on a solo team (cliche) or B. Team of five with Team PRAN (Also cliche). This path would showcase a reunion with the rest of Team RWBY, confrontations between Jaune and CRDL, as well as the standard progression of the plot to the Fall of Beacon and the Vytal Festival. He would also get pulled into the conspiracy of the Maidens, Salem, and Ozma.**

**Path 2: Jaune says no and he continues on his journey with Maria and Mae, meeting and learning how to harness his powers as well as learning the true huntsman life. That way, he develops as a hunter on his own without any influence from Ozpin or his inner circle as well as hiding him from Cinder and Salem. However, he would not meet with the rest of Team RWBY until the end of the Arc which would showcase the fall of Beacon.**

**Remember, both paths lead to the same result. Jaune being dragged back in to watch or participate in the Vytal Festival depending on which path he takes and participating in the Battle of Beacon. Let me know what you think in the reviews and the poll which will go up today after this chapter is posted. Remember. Poll ends next week so go crazy.**

**Also, here ya go.**

**discord. gg /V54pcwA**

**This is a server where we discuss things. Normal things. Trust me. It's the most normal server on discord. Just your normal server. Feel free to join it if you want! :3**


	16. Arc 3: And School Comes Along

**I don't own RWBY. RWBY and all its affiliates are owned by the late Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"How did I find myself in this situation again?" Jaune sighed as he stared at the floor of the airship. In his brilliance, his nonexistent brilliance, that he had forgotten his air-sickness pills back at the house. He would've gone back if he wasn't already halfway to his destination. He felt someone rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"I can't believe that you forgot the pills," Pyrrha said, failing to hide her laughter and amusement at Jaune's misery.

"What a supportive girlfriend I have," Jaune said. His face turned green as he held the bile down. Pyrrha sighed and looked at the seat across from them. Alice was also hunched over, clutching her stomach while Ren and Nora rubbed circles on her back.

"Dear Israfil… this is torture!" Alice wheezed.

"If I had the power, I'd make these metal death traps illegal!" Jaune said.

"Airships are a safe way to travel, Jaune. It isn't the ship's fault that you two forgot your air sickness pills," Blake said.

"I can try!" Jaune said.

"Don't worry, we're almost there. For now, let's think of something else like how we're going to explain to Ozpin and the rest of the staff to let you an allegedly deceased student back into the school," Ren said, crossing his arms. Jaune blinked and sat up, forgetting about his motion sickness for a moment.

"I, uh, don't have a plan for that actually. I was thinking I would just walk into campus unannounced and see Ozpin," Jaune said. Everyone looked up at him with disbelief. That was his plan. No call from his parents. No special referral from Maria, a renowned huntress. Just walk in and hope Ozpin would take him back. If it were anyone else, they would have laughed at them, however, this was Jaune. He had his moments of brilliance and moments of stupidity.

"Um, Jaune. I don't want to put you down but that plan sounds… really stupid," Alice said.

"Gotta better idea?" Jaune asked.

"Er… no," Alice said.

"How about a disguise?" Pyrrha suggested.

"I don't think anyone will fall for it. Besides, won't he look suspicious?" Blake said.

"Not if he dyes his hair to a different color or cuts it!" Nora said.

"Nora, we don't have the time to get Jaune's hair dyed or cut, besides, I think Jaune's hair looks fine the way it is," Ren said.

"So we're really just going to walk in there with Jaune and act like nothing happened?" Blake asked.

"Well… more or less. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune. The entire student body and ninety-nine percent of the staff thinks you're dead with the sole exception of Professor Goodwitch. And we don't know how the students will react when they find out you're alive, especially Team CRDL and Team RWBY… most of RWBY," Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha's right," Blake said.

"Hmmm, but we're kind of running out of viable options since… we're kind of near the landing pad already," Jaune said, looking out the window.

"The what?" Pyrrha said, shoving him aside. He was right. She could see the massive lone spire of Beacon Tower as well as the landing bay for all the airships.

"Yeah, sooo, we're just going to have to wing it I guess," Jaune said.

"Yeah, let's do that," Pyrrha said. "We're out of time anyway."

Jaune's eyes drank in the sight of Beacon Academy. It had been a couple of months since he'd been here. His memories of the place were a mix of pleasant and not-so-pleasant. Mostly not-so-pleasant memories. However, there were a few aspects of the academy that Jaune found to be nice. First of all, it helped him see that his crush on Weiss was just that. A crush. And crushes faded as Jaune found out the hard way. It also introduced him to his hidden feelings for Pyrrha. He never noticed it until he started to think about it at the Festival.

His parents had found it odd that they started dating the moment Jaune crashed his funeral to which Jaune corrected them and said that he had yet to take her on a formal date. The Festival provided him the opportunity to. But their notice had gotten Jaune to start thinking. When did he start liking Pyrrha? His mind thought back to the time when he was being bullied by Cardin. Pyrrha stood by him and tried to help him get stronger. When Cardin blew his secret out into the open, Pyrrha stood by him, despite knowing that she would be targeted by the other students for associating herself with such scum.

He was very much aware of the talks that the others made behind their backs. The unsightly words that were directed at Pyrrha discreetly for fear that she would retaliate against them. She was the Invincible Girl after all. No student in their year was capable of matching her. Not even the members of Team RWBY could. They could give her a run for her money but in the end, Pyrrha would still beat them.

Besides that, he was happy to be a part of Team JNPR and despite the strain that occurred between Jaune, Ren, and Nora, everything turned out okay. Jaune was currently working out his problems with them and making great progress. He really felt as if they could become friends again.

He grabbed his bags from the luggage carrier and slung them across his shoulder. Sol and Luna sat comfortably inside one of his duffle bags while he rolled another bag filled with clothing, underwear, and other essentials. He strolled down the runway towards Beacon Academy with Pyrrha walking next to him. Jaune noticed that upon arrival, he had immediately grabbed everyone's attention. The other students just stood there with wide eyes and whispering amongst themselves. Jaune didn't need to hear them to know what they were talking about. He already knew. They were all wondering how Beacon's Weakest Student was still alive after he was left to die at the hands of the Grimm. Well, maybe not, but there was a high possibility that they were.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said. She grasped his hand and gripped it tightly. "Ignore them," she said, glancing at him.

"I am… but it's kind of hard not to," Jaune whispered.

"Let's just get to Ozpin's office," Ren said.

"Yeah, the other students are giving me the creeps with all their whispering," Nora said.

"I can't go with you guys to Ozpin's office. I have to go meet up with Yang, Ruby, and Weiss. They're waiting for me in the dorms since they got here before us and don't worry, I won't say anything," Blake said.

"Guess we'll see you back at the dorms then?" Jaune asked.

She nodded and waved as she turned around a corner.

Jaune tried to ignore the gawks as he kept his eyes to the floor to avoid making eye contact.

"Well, well, well, look who's not so dead after all."

That voice. He knew that voice. It was one of his tormentors. One of Cardin's teammates. He looked up and saw the familiar grey-blue hair of Sky Lark. The man held a cocky smirk on his face as he stared Jaune in the eye.

"Get out of our way, Sky," Pyrrha said.

"What's wrong, Arc? Gonna let your girlfriend fight all your battles for you?" Sky said.

Jaune remained silent, not saying anything. Pyrrha, Alice, Nora, and Ren glanced at Jaune, ready to make a move in case Sky tried anything. They could see Jaune shaking though whether or not it was in fear or rage, they could not tell.

As Sky went in to place his hand on Jaune's shoulder in a "friendly" manner, Jaune's hand shot up and grabbed Sky's wrist. His eyes narrowed as he tried to pull back. He felt the pressure grow and the pain started to build, prompting him to pull harder.

"Listen to me, Sky. Just because I'm back doesn't mean that I'm going to take your team's bullshit anymore. Nor will I take the other students'. I will stand up for myself and retaliate if I'm attacked," Jaune said in a low, menacing tone.

Sky began to feel fear creep up his spine. But why was he afraid? Why was he so afraid of the loser of JNPR? He yelped when he felt the bones in his wrist begin to creak as he fell to his knees.

"Got it?" Jaune said.

Sky nodded rapidly and Jaune immediately let go of his wrist.

"Let's go," Jaune said. The others, who had watched the entire interaction in surprise, merely nodded and they walked off.

Sky growled. He would not be humiliated. Especially by Jaune Arc. He got up and started to run towards Jaune. He cocked his fist back, fully intending to strike him while his back was turned. Unfortunately for him, Pyrrha moved and reacted in time, slapping aside Sky's fist. She rammed her knee into his gut before striking his chest with her palm. Sky crashed into the wall and slid down unceremoniously as he was rendered unconscious from Pyrrha's attack.

"Hmph," Pyrrha said, dusting her hands off. Alice and Jaune glanced at each other while Ren and Nora shook their heads.

* * *

Blake hummed the tune of _It's Time_ as she walked down the hallway of the dorm rooms. She smiled as she made it to her team's room and took out her scroll. She held it up against the knob and was satisfied to hear the click. She opened the door and saw Ruby animatedly chatting with Weiss, who was slowly inching away from her partner. Yang was playing games on her scroll.

Blake knocked on the wall to get their attention.

"Hey. I'm back from Domremy," Blake said.

"BLAKE!"

Blake stumbled back as Ruby latched onto her.

"Hey, Ruby," Blake said, smiling. However, her smile was strained. Not from the fact that she didn't want to see her but from the sole fact that Ruby was currently crushing her ribs.

"Rubes, you're gonna break her ribs," Yang said, pulling the red reaper off the faunus.

"Thanks, Yang," Blake said as she rubbed her sides. She never knew that Ruby had that much physical strength behind her small frame.

"How was Domremy?" Weiss asked, looking at Blake.

"It was fun. Jaune's parents were really nice. His sisters were nice. Just the overall feel and atmosphere of the area was nice. It really made me feel at home… like I was back in Menagerie," Blake said. "I might even get a house there one day."

"Must be really nice if you're considering that as your place of residence after you become a huntress," Ruby said.

"What are Jaune's parents like?" Yang asked.

"Yang, she just said they were nice people," Weiss said.

"I heard her the first time but I want to know what they're really like. Are they like Alice? Like… you know," Yang said, not mentioning his name. Blake knew who she was referring to but she made a promise not to tell them and let Jaune reveal himself to the school. Rumors should be flying around by now considering he entered the academy without any disguise whatsoever.

"Mrs. Arc, I think she's more like Jaune in personality. They're both bright. Nice to people. They can be airheads from time to time but they have it where it counts. And besides that, Jaune looks more like his mom than his dad," Blake said.

"And Mr. Arc?" Weiss asked.

"If you were to put Mr. Arc and Alice into the other's body, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart much. They act so much like each other it's almost creepy if you didn't know that they were a father-daughter duo," Blake said.

"So, you want us to get you anything or help put your stuff back?" Yang asked.

"No, I'm fine. I'll unpack later," Blake said, leaving her bag out. She walked over to her bunkbed and sat laid down in it.

_It's good to be back. How are you going to shake up the school, Jaune?_ Blake wondered, imagining Ozpin's face at the moment.

* * *

Jaune stood nervously inside the elevator. The last time he had been inside this elevator was during the briefing for the mission to Aurbis Base. The mission that nearly cost him his life. It was the mission where he learned of his Grimm powers. And the mission where he knew who was his friend and who wanted him to die. He looked up at the changing numbers on the elevator, all the while listening to Ozpin's tacky choice of music.

Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Alice all stood next to him, equally as nervous as the blonde boy that they were with. There was a chance that Ozpin wouldn't let him back into the school at all and just kick Jaune out. After all, Jaune did lie his way into the school. But then again, Opzin kept Jaune around that long, perhaps there was a chance that he would take Jaune back in.

The elevator dinged as the door slowly opened. Jaune and the others walked out into Ozpin's office, already listening to the ever-present sound of clock gears moving. Ozpin sat at his desk, doing some paperwork while the Deputy Headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch stood next to his side with her scroll out, no doubt observing the students as they were coming in from the loading bay.

"Um," Jaune began.

"You don't need to say anything, Mister Arc. We saw you on your way in here through the cameras," Ozpin said, placing his pen down. Glynda placed her scroll down on Ozpin's desk before crossing her arms and staring at the group with a steely gaze. Ozpin's eyes rested solely on Jaune, knowing that he made the boy extremely uncomfortable.

_Shit, that look… okay, Arc, don't screw this up_, Jaune thought as he breathed to calm himself down.

"I'm back," he said weakly.

"I can very much see that Mister Arc. I'm glad that you're safe. Surviving a cliff fall with no landing strategy and being on the last dregs of your aura. I can only attribute it to the fact that fate must have been smiling upon you that day. On top of that, you've made a splendid recovery as well and are planning to get back into the game. Though, I was wondering why you didn't inform the school or contact any of the authorities so that we could go and get you from wherever you were recovering," Ozpin said.

"Um, well, the person who looked after me told me that I didn't wake up for an entire month so… I spent the month after I woke up training my body back into shape. Something about their being muscle atrophy or something," Jaune said.

"I see. And where was this? The place you were recovering at," Ozpin said.

"A small village named Yukihara near Aurbis Base. I think it's about seven klicks north of the base," Jaune said.

"Well then, I will send them my regards and my utmost thanks for saving one of my students," Ozpin said.

"Hey Headmaster," Jaune said.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. He knew what Jaune was going to ask next. To be honest, Ozpin had no intention of expelling him from the school. Jaune's name was still registered in the school's database and his grades had been put on hold. Glynda had, on multiple occasions, tried to get Ozpin to remove Jaune from the student database only to be rebuffed by the man.

There were many reasons as to why Ozpin had kept Jaune in the student roster. For one, his twin. Ozpin had been alive for a long time. And in his long life, there were things about aura that he had discovered. The twin bond. Jaune and Alice were not unique in that sense. In every pair of twins or triplets that are born in Remnant every year, there was a good chance that four out of ten of those pairs would end up with a twin bond. A perfect example that came to the forefront of Ozpin's mind.

Qrow and Raven Branwen.

Despite the fact that the two no longer got along, they still retained that oh-so powerful bond that they had since they were born. Proof of this lay in Raven's semblance. Despite the animosity that the two held for each other now, it did nothing to hide Raven's affection for her twin.

So Alice's reaction back when he broke the news of Jaune's alleged death was a red flag to him.

And that meant that if Jaune was alive somewhere out there, there was a chance that the young man would come back. It was something Ozpin bet on, stating to himself that if Jaune Arc did not return by the end of the next semester, Ozpin would personally throw Beacon's entire coffee supply into the ocean. Yet here he was. Jaune Arc was as healthy as ever with the odd exception of the possible post-traumatic-stress disorder.

"Hello?"

Ozpin snapped out of his reverie as Jaune stared at him.

"Yes?"

"Is it possible for me to be let back in?" Jaune asked.

Glynda looked at Ozpin. He could see the pleading in her eyes, begging to let Jaune back into the academy. He folded his hands and looked at Jaune.

"Mister Arc. You are aware that you are behind all the other students in terms of academics. And everyone believes you to be dead including the staff," Ozpin said.

"I understand but…," Jaune said.

"To top it all off, your team has a new leader in the form of Miss Nikos and your spot is currently being occupied by your twin sister," Ozpin said.

Jaune went silent, processing all of Ozpin's words. The others stood there with bated breath to see what Jaune's response would be.

"I know and I don't care. I came to this academy to achieve my dreams of becoming a huntsman and I'm not giving up now. So go ahead, kick me out. I'll just go to another hunting academy or even go back to Domremy to learn from my parents. I won't let anything stand in my way to becoming a huntsman and to be with the friends that I made while I was here. Because for me, they're the most important part about my life at this academy. So go. Do it," Jaune said, looking Ozpin in the eye. "I don't care what you, the other staff, or students say or do about my being back here."

Ozpin smirked. He could see that the fire that was in Jaune's heart when he started Beacon was back and more powerful than ever. His drive was similar to that of an all-consuming bush fire.

"I see. Very well Mister Arc. However, don't expect to get in here just because you gave that small, yet very impressive speech," Ozpin said.

"That's right. I won't take shi-... wait, did you just say that you'll let me in?" Jaune asked.

"Yes… but of course, everything's not free," Ozpin said.

"What's the catch?" Alice asked.

"The catch, as you so eloquently put it, Miss Arc, is the initiation test," Ozpin said.

"Just go to the Emerald Forest and retrieve a relic while annihilating all the Grimm that oppose you, right? That should be easy enough," Jaune said.

"Mister Arc. That would be too easy. No, your task is to go into the Emerald Forest in a search and destroy," Ozpin said.

"Search and Destroy?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes. Miss Nikos. If I may explain, Ozpin," Glynda said. Ozpin nodded and gestured for her to explain.

"A search and destroy is basically what the name implies. Within a time limit, Jaune is to go into the area, find the target, and eliminate it. The time limit for Jaune's Search and Destroy is three hours to simulate the time limit that some hunter missions have. Please note that Search and Destroy missions do not always involve Grimm. The missions may involve destroying a structure, object, or even… the elimination of another human or faunus," Glynda said.

"So… assassination?" Ren asked.

"In that context yes but in this, Jaune is merely going to hunt down and take out a Grimm," Ozpin said.

"Okay, easy enough," Jaune said.

"Good. I'm glad you feel that way because this will be your target," Ozpin said, pressing a button. Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha's eyes widened. Jaune's mouth gaped open like a dying fish as he looked at the image that Ozpin was currently projecting in front of everyone.

Its exoskeleton was damaged and it was missing one of its legs. Its stinger was naught but a stump and Jaune could see signs of wear and tear. One of its pincers was heavily injured as well.

"I see you recognize this," Ozpin said. "To answer your question, yes, this is the Deathstalker that you and Team RWBY fought during initiation."

"Wait, that's the Deathstalker you guys told me about? The one you threw off a cliff?" Alice asked.

"I thought we killed it," Nora said.

"Nope. It is very much alive," Ozpin said. He turned to Jaune. "So? What do you say, Mister Arc?"

"I… I'll accept," Jaune said.

"Very good. Shall we head down to the launch pads after lunch? I'll have it delivered her to my office so that you and the rest of your team can dine in anonymity," Ozpin said.

"Rest of my team?" Jaune asked.

"Worry about that later, for now, please mentally prepare yourself for this exam," Ozpin said as he dialed a number on his scroll. Glynda smiled as she walked over to Jaune and hugged him.

"Welcome back, Jaune," Glynda said.

"I'm glad to be back, Big Sis Glyn," Jaune said.

"No hug for me too, Big Sis Glyn?" Alice asked. Glynda sighed as she pulled out but Alice could see the smile on her face.

Alice jumped into the hug and pulled Jaune into it as well, as the twins embraced their former babysitter together for the first time in several years.

* * *

"Hey," Weiss said.

"What?" Yang asked as she fist-pumped after winning her match.

"I think Sky's going insane," Weiss said.

"What'd that fucker do now?" Yang asked.

"He posted on his PicChat that Jaune's alive," Weiss said.

"That's… weird. If I remember correctly, we had a funeral for Jaune," Yang said.

Ruby and Blake stiffened at the sound of Jaune's name. Despite finding out by accident, Ruby had kept her lov- friend's status hidden. She felt that if she were a good friend when he was ready, they would become besties again or possibly more. At least, that's how Ruby felt.

Blake bit her lip. Why of all people did they have to run into a member of Team CRDL. Why not one of the nicer teams like Team CFVY? Velvet would gladly keep Jaune's secret to pay him back for standing up and taking Cardin's sight off her.

"Huh? It's a message from Professor Ozpin," Ruby said.

"What did you do this time?" Weiss asked.

"Hey, not every message we get from him is because we got in trouble," Ruby protested.

"Well?" Weiss asked impatiently.

"He wants us to meet him by the launch pads with Team PRAN. They're getting a new member apparently," Ruby said, reading the message out loud.

"A new member?" Weiss asked.

"Did he say who?" Blake added.

"No. But I want to see!" Ruby said.

"Wait. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We're still not exactly buddy-buddy with Team PRAN," Yang said.

"We should go anyway," Blake said. "It'll show that we support them and maybe we can start building bridges."

"Blake's right. We can build a bridge to them and we can become friends again," Ruby said.

* * *

"I… am not a big fan of being here again," Jaune said.

"Well, remember your landing strategy this time," Pyrrha teased.

"Alright, mind if I borrow you then? You're part of my landing strategy if you remembered," Jaune said.

Pyrrha blushed as Jaune leaned in close to her face.

"No PDA you two," Alice said, placing her hand between Jaune and Pyrrha's face.

"Yes, please refrain from doing it in public," Glynda said.

"Are you ready Mister Arc? Remember, you have three hours to go eliminate the Death Stalker," Ozpin said.

Jaune nodded.

"Wish me LUUUUUUUUCCCCKK!" Jaune was launched into the air while everyone watched from the cliffs.

"I have temporarily synced your scrolls to the observation drones stationed in the forest so you can monitor his progress," Glynda said.

The members of Team PRAN nodded as they pulled out their scrolls.

"SORRY!"

They turned around to see Team RWBY running towards them.

"Did we miss it?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, who's the new team member?" Yang asked.

"Blake!" Pyrrha called. Blake ran over to her.

"So, he's going to crash," Blake said.

"Sadly, there's a chance of that happening," Pyrrha said.

"So who's the new team member?" Ruby asked.

"You didn't tell them? I called them here because I assumed they knew," Ozpin said with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

Alice narrowed her eyes at the headmaster and sighed.

"W- They don't know… well, Blake knows," Alice said.

"So who was it?" Weiss asked.

Pyrrha and Blake glanced at each other before she flipped her scroll and showed it to Weiss.

"Is that… no way! He's alive!" Weiss said.

"WHO!?" Ruby asked, pushing her aside. She smiled widely as small tears began to form at the edges of her eyes.

"Jaune?" Ruby whispered.

"Vomit Boy…," Yang said, looking over Ruby's shoulder.

* * *

_Why does this feel so familiar?_ Jaune thought as he was freefalling.

"_Master, please don't forget that I'm inside your jacket and that if we hit the ground at this speed, we'll both die,"_ Nyx said, popping her head out of his hoodie.

"Oh right," Jaune said. His entire body glowed violet as a burst of ethereal strings of energy erupted from his back. The energy morphed and coalesced into a pair of massive eagle wings. He decided to settle on bird wings since dragon wings made him look a bit too demonic for his taste.

Jaune flapped his wings, slowing his fall and allowing him to land safely on the ground. As soon as he touched down, he pulled out Sol and Luna and activated them, causing the blades to unfurl.

"He has a scythe!" Ruby exclaimed, startling the others.

"Ruby, calm down," Weiss said. She was curious to see how powerful Jaune got.

"His semblance. He can make wings like you, Alice," Ren said.

"Well, twins share a mind is what they say," Alice said.

Jaune ran through Emerald Forest with Nyx perched on his shoulder. She was currently sniffing the air, trying to find the scent of the Death Stalker that her master had been tasked with hunting.

"_Master, there's a pack of my kind up ahead_," Nyx said.

"I'll try not to kill them," Jaune said.

"_No, that's… they're running from something,"_ Nyx said.

"What are they running from?" Jaune asked.

"_I can't tell. Perhaps it's the scorpion?"_ Nyx asked.

"Woah!" Jaune dodged as a beowolf burst from the shrubbery and nearly tore Jaune's face off. Jaune gripped Sol and Luna tightly, staring the beast down.

The beowolf growled before turning around and running off.

Jaune settled down a bit, before exchanging a confused glance with Nyx.

"What could they possibly be running from?" Jaune asked.

Nyx shook her head, stating that she didn't know. Jaune sighed and turned around. He kept walking in a straight line until he felt Nyx stiffen on his shoulder.

"_Master, I think I've located the scent_," Nyx said.

"Yeah," Jaune said, staring at the carnage before him. There were dissolving Grimm corpses strewn across the forest. The trees were uprooted and the ground was littered with pot marks as well as trenches.

"There was a battle here," Jaune said. He took one step and found his foot stepping in one of the holes. His eyes narrowed when he saw a massive footprint, far larger than his own foot right in front of him.

"Something's not right," Pyrrha said. "What could've done that?"

"Ozpin," Glynda said as she watched the footage.

"...," Ozpin remained silent, analyzing the print.

"Glynda, prepare to be launched into the forest at a moment's notice," Ozpin said.

"Professor?" the others looked at Ozpin, wondering just what the hell was going on.

"No time. Miss Nikos. Miss Rose. Please be on standby with Professor Goodwitch," Ozpin said.

The two redheads glanced at each other and nodded.

"_Master, I have a bad feeling about this_," Nyx said.

"You and me both. Whatever can take out a beowolf pack and its alpha along side an Ursa Major and a Goliath, we're talking something big here," Jaune said.

"_Like that Basilisk?_" Nyx asked.

"Probably something on that level," Jaune said. "I just got lucky in the fact that I managed to not get it kill me."

Jaune followed Nyx's directions as he walked through the woods. The carnage and destruction was everywhere. More peculiar marks began to appear all over the forest as well as something that pointed Jaune in the right direction. The dissolving leg of the Death Stalker. At least he hoped it was its leg and not some random insectoid or arachnoid type Grimm. Another track were scorch marks. Scorch marks were littered all over the forest floor, primarily where Jaune saw the trees were cut in half. This meant that whatever this was could use fire. Jaune considered the possibility that it was just a hunter in the Emerald Forest but humans and faunus don't leave large tracks like that.

"_Master, the Death Stalker. It's up ahead_," Nyx said.

Jaune nodded as he began to run. He broke through the brush and saw the massive scorpion that had plagued them on initiation day, standing there. Immediately, Jaune could tell that it had been attacked. What remained of its tail after Pyrrha had cut off its stinger was now just a singed stump. Three of its legs were missing, presumably bitten off or removed by whatever attacked it. There were burn marks all over its body, matching the scorch trails that Jaune had seen when coming over here.

The Death Stalker weakly turned to Jaune and backed away. Jaune frowned. It was afraid of him.

"_Wait! Stop ancient one!"_ Nyx called.

"_I have no time to speak. I must run and heal my wounds before it comes back,"_ the Death Stalker said to Nyx.

"Before what comes back?" Jaune asked.

"_You can understand us? Oh… I see. So that's why," _ the Death Stalker said.

"_Listen to us Ancient One. What attacked you?_" Nyx asked.

"_The One whose tail rends the earth with its flames_," The Death Stalker said.

"Rend the earth?" Jaune asked. His eyes widened when the Death Stalker lurched forward, falling. Its fatigue had caught up with it as it lay weakly in front of Jaune.

"_My Lord. Please… put me out of my misery,_" the Death Stalker begged.

"What's Jaune doing? He's just staring at it," Yang said.

The others merely watched, wondering what Jaune would do next.

"Is that really what you want?" Jaune asked.

"_Yes. I do not wish to become a meal for the flame bearer,_" The Death Stalker said.

"I see," Jaune said. He snapped Sol and Luna together, transforming them into Eclipse. He raised Eclipse over his head and stabbed into the Death Stalker's head. The Grimm spasmed for a couple of seconds, its body going through its death throes.

Jaune pulled the blade out and watched the body dissolve into smoke. He sighed as he pulled his scroll out to request an evac.

"Mister Arc," Glynda's voice came out from the scroll.

"Hey, I got the target," Jaune said.

"Good. Stay there. We'll have a bullhead come and pick you up," Glynda said.

"Yeah," Jaune said

"Ozpin, I'm going," Glynda said.

"Sure-," Ozpin's response was cut off when a massive ear-piercing roar. The roar sounded like a mix between a lion, an alligator, and an industrial coal mine complete with dynamite and drilling.

Jaune stiffened when he heard the roar. Nyx began to growl on his shoulder. He shifted Eclipse back to Sola and Luna to allow himself more mobility.

"This must be that Flame Bearer or something?" Jaune said.

The ground shook underneath Jaune as he turned around to come face to face with the monstrosity that burst through the trees. He took a step back as the massive beast came bursting through the trees, knocking all the wood over. The beast in front of him was massive, standing at 10 meters in height. It was covered in rigid pitch-black scales that gave off a slightly red tint. On its back were a set of spines that went from black and faded into a fiery red color. The largest of these spines were located primarily around its hip bone.

The beast's arms were stubby, serving no purpose at all. It possessed powerful legs that Jaune deduced were built for chasing its prey. However, its most impressive feature was its tail. Its tail was essentially one massive blade. The bony blade was black in color but shined in the light.

Jaune took a step back as he stared up at the Grimm.

"GO!" Ozpin urged.

Glynda, Pyrrha, and Ruby nodded as the launch pads activated.

"Professor Ozpin… what is that?" Weiss asked.

Ozpin looked at his scroll with a grim face.

"A Glavenus," he said.

Jaune prepared himself as the Glavenus roared in his face, shattering what little peace remained within the Emerald Forest.

* * *

**Yes. Glavenus is based on Glavenus from Monster Hunter if any of you ask. So I tallied up the votes from the polls and from those of you who couldn't vote. And I am surprised. The For Beacon People came up with extremely good arguments and even suggestions as how to not turn it into a Jaune becomes an asshole due to betrayal fic if I took the Beacon route so thank you. With that piece said, I'm pretty sure you can all guess which option won.**

**Yes, Jaune is going back to Beacon. Which for me opens up a can of worms I've been planning if this got the vote. In addition to our little love triangle between Blake, Pyrrha, and Jaune, you have to remember that Ruby also had a not-so-small but also very secret crush on our blonde prior to the whole incident involving Cardin and Jaune's transcripts.**

**So prepare for a very spicy semester here at Beacon starting with Jaune getting rescued from the Brute Grimm! With that, have a nice day/night wherever you all are.**

**If you wanna come and talk, I am part of a discord server! Come and join! We have cookies and fluffy tails!**

**discord. gg /V54pcwA**

**PS: Sorry for the lack of Mae. We will get her fluffy cuteness next chapter.**


	17. Arc 3: Welcome Back To Beacon

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**Emerald Forest**

* * *

Jaune rolled out of the way as a massive blade slammed into the ground next to him. The force of the swing unleashed a compressed wave of air that carved a large trench across that stretched on for several dozen meters. Jaune glanced at the Glavenus as it tried to pull its tail out of the ground and beheld the devastation wrought by a single swing. The trees in the path of the swing were cut in half down to the base with a large fissure that was at least a few feet deep.

"Oh shoot," Jaune said as he tightly gripped Sol and Luna. He steeled himself and ran at the Glavenus, taking advantage of its distraction. Jaune jumped and swung his scythes, attempting to cut into the bony armor. To his surprise, the armor didn't even budge. The blades of Jaune's scythes bounced off as he stumbled back.

"That's some thick armor," Jaune said. The Glavenus pulled its tail out of the ground and turned towards Jaune. It opened its mouth and unleashed a terrifying roar. The Grimm tried to clamp its jaws down on Jaune, only to miss as Jaune narrowly jumped out of the way.

Jaune jumped into the air and summoned an aura arm to pull him towards the Glavenus. He channeled his aura into scythes and slashed its back. The Glavenus roared in pain, feeling the blades cut into the back.

Jaune landed on the ground behind the Grimm and turned around. The Glavenus growled as it stared at Jaune. Its throat began to glow with a dull red light as it roared. Its roar echoed across the forest, causing many of the wildlife and Grimm to flee in fear.

"Hehe," Jaune said as he saw a flock of Nevermore fleeing from the Emerald Forest. "Why am I still here?"

The Glavenus brought its tail blade up to its mouth and bit down on it.

"What the…?" Jaune asked as he began to back away.

"Why is it biting down on its tail like that?" Weiss asked, noting the odd behavior. She had never witnessed a Grimm attempt to harm itself like that.

"It's going to attack. Mister Arc will need to get out of there," Ozpin said.

"Jaune," Alice said, worried for her brother.

"He'll be fine," Yang said, placing her hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Alice said. Yang immediately took her hand off Alice's shoulder. Blake offered Yang a sympathetic smile before turning her attention back to the screen.

"_MASTER, DODGE!"_ Nyx yelled, sensing the oncoming danger. Jaune immediately manifested aura wings and took the air as he watched the Glavenus spin, its tail coated in bright red sparks. The sparks ignited the air around it, causing small bursts of flame that lit the surrounding foliage ablaze.

"Holy," Jaune gasped as he saw the Glavenus turned around and roared. It jumped into the air and swing its tail downward. Jaune dodged as a swathe of flames sped past him, cutting and reducing several trees in its path to charred pieces of wood. Jaune flew down and swung his scythes, using his aura to activate the vibration function of his weapons. The effect was visible as his weapons cut into the armor of the Glavenus somewhat.

"COME ON!" Jaune yelled as he used his aura to boost his weapon's cutting power. The high oscillation of the blade combined with the aura allowed Jaune to slice deep into the Glavenus's bony plate and hit flesh. The Grimm roared as Jaune slashed a deep wound into its side. He kicked off and threw Sol with an aura enhanced throw, embedding it into the side of the Glavenus's face.

"Time to see if Maria's parting gift works!" Jaune said as he clicked a button on Luna. The head of Luna glowed violet as did the head of Sol. The Glavenus found itself being pulled towards Jaune as Jaune flew towards the Glavenus's face. He grabbed Sol's handle and dug Luna into its armor.

"Eat dust!" Jaune said as he transformed his vambrace into his wrist gun. Jaune pointed the vambrace and fired it, causing a flaming explosion on the side of the Glavenus's head. The force of the blast knocked Jaune off the head. He landed on the ground and saw the Glavenus run into a tree, slamming into it and knocking the tree down. The force of the Glavenus hitting the tree knocked it off its feet and onto the ground.

Jaune immediately ran over to it, merging Sol and Luna together to form Eclipse. Jaune slammed the great sword, enhancing its cutting power by activating the vibration and his aura. His target was its tail. The attack hit home as Jaune's blade immediately cut through the tail, partially breaking it. However, Jaune could not completely cut through it as the Glavenus got up shortly after and threw Jaune off, swinging its tail wildly. Jaune landed on the ground and saw the Glavenus unleash a ball of fire from its mouth.

He quickly rolled out of the way as the fireball hit the ground. The fireball was more akin to molten slag as it bubbled for a bit before exploding violently. Jaune looked at the Glavenus as it walked carefully eyeing him. It had nearly lost its tail to this mere human so it needed to be careful. Its orange eyes stared balefully at Jaune as he gripped Eclipse with an even tighter grip.

"It's weird…," Jaune said, noticing something off.

"_What's strange, Master?_" Nyx asked.

"By now, he should have… stopped attacking us. Haven't you noticed it? Most Grimm attack us initially but then stop after they notice us," Jaune said.

"_That is strange,"_ Nyx said.

"I'll try and control it," Jaune said. His eye color shifted to violet as he stared at the Grimm. The Glavenus flinched and stumbled back a bit before shaking its head and roaring at Jaune.

"I can't… control it?" Jaune said, surprised. The Grimm kept roaring as its underbelly and its throat began to glow a soft red hue. Jaune jumped out of the way as it attempted to take a massive chunk out of his arm. He enhanced himself with aura, increasing his speed. He dashed in between its legs and performed a spin slash that cut into its armor.

The Glavenus snarled and slammed its foot into the ground, barely missing Jaune as he leaped into the air and tried to cut into its thigh. The Grimm swung its tail, slamming the flat side of the blade into Jaune. Jaune crashed through several trees before sliding to a stop. He groaned as he used his weapons to support himself as he stood.

"Ow. Crap! That hurt more than I expected it to," Jaune said as he glared at the advancing Glavenus.

"_Why won't it listen to you?_" Nyx asked as she hopped onto his head.

"When I tried to control it, there was something blocking me out," Jaune said. Several energy blades manifested behind him.

"_Master, you should conserve your aura rather than using it_," Nyx said. Jaune nodded before jumping back as the grimm slammed its tail into the ground. Jaune fired the blades he had already created, praying that they would be sharp enough to cause lasting damage to the thing. He dashed forward at speeds faster than that of the average Beacon Student and swung Eclipse, cutting into the side of its face and making its mark by slicing into its eye. The frequency at which the blade was currently vibrating at as well as the enhancement from the aura proved devastating as the blade easily sliced into the eye. The Glavenus roared in pain as it stumbled back, losing vision in one of its eyes.

"One more strike!" Jaune swung Eclipse again with all of his strength, knocking the Grimm to the side. He formed an aura arm and latched on to its face, speeding towards it and stabbing the blade into its side.

The Glavenus was knocked over and fell to the ground. Jaune capitalized on the moment as he swung the sword downward, cutting into its vulnerable underside. He split Eclipse apart back into Sol and Luna and unleashed a flurry of bladed strikes, slicing into the soft flesh of the Glavenus's tail.

Every hair on Jaune's neck stood on end as he smiled. He dug the hooked blades of the scythes into its belly and swung them, creating a deep incision. He then jumped as a red dart embedded itself into the wound. The Glavenus roared and screamed as Jaune grabbed the spear and ran along the length of its underside. He swung the spear, slicing its throat open before shoving his arm into its neck and firing the gun inside his vambrace. The bullets shattered the cervical vertebrae of the Glavenus.

The Glavenus spasmed and before falling still as Jaune pulled his arm out of its neck. Jaune panted as the Grimm began to dissolve into black smoke.

"Jeez. Again? I had it on the ropes and you knew that," Jaune said as he picked the spear off the ground. Milo. Pyrrha's spear. That meant that she was.

"You know. If you're going to hide and watch, at least don't throw a spear," Jaune said.

"Ehe," Pyrrha walked out from behind one of the trees sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. She raised her hand, activating her semblance. Milo flew from Jaune's grasp into her hand.

"Sorry," Pyrrha said, looking down. She felt ashamed of herself if only a little bit. But she was just worried about Jaune which is what caused her to throw the spear to help Jaune. Jaune sighed as he walked over and pet her head gently.

"Thanks, Pyr," Jaune said, smiling at her. Pyrrha looked up to see his smiling face and nodded. However, Jaune wasn't finished. He pulled her in and looked her in the eye.

"But next time," he whispered, "You owe me one."

Pyrrha nodded, her face red from Jaune's sudden action. She was surprised. He was so bold all of a sudden. It stirred feelings in her that she shouldn't be having. At least, feeling she shouldn't be feeling in public.

"Mister Arc. Please refrain from doing PDA in public," a stern voice said from behind.

"Sorry Professor," Jaune said as he pulled away from a red Pyrrha.

"It's alright. Just remember to keep this in your dorm," Glynda said, pushing up her glasses. She glanced at the devastation around her. "To think that a Glavenus of all things would be-!"

"JAUUUUNNNE~!" A red missile shot past her and slammed into Jaune, knocking him off his feet. Jaune groaned as he looked up to see a mop of black and red hair on his chest. Pyrrha's eyes dulled when she saw who was on top of Jaune.

"Miss Rose! Please get off of Mister Arc," Glynda said, pulling her back by the hood. Ruby hopped up on her feet as Pyrrha helped Jaune up. Jaune dusted himself off and picked up his weapons.

"Jaune," Ruby said.

"Hello, Ruby," Jaune said, albeit a bit coldly. Ruby did not feel the frost that laced his voice when he spoke to her and involuntarily flinched. Jaune noticed this and softened his features a bit.

"Jaune, I'm…," Ruby was cut off when Jaune spoke.

"We'll talk later," Jaune said. She nodded, feeling a hint of disappointment that he brushed her off but then remembered that he said they would talk later.

"Come Mister Arc. Ozpin has called us back to his office and I've requested a bullhead to come and pick us up," Glynda said.

Back on the cliffs, Blake nearly crushed the scroll with her grip when she saw what transpired. Her face remained as calm as ever but the feeling that she exuded was palpable to everyone around her.

Yang backed away from her partner while Weiss remained rooted to her spot. Alice sighed along with Ren and Nora. Ozpin had a much different reaction. A twinkle appeared in his eye for a split second before focusing back on the situation at hand. Something he needed to discuss with Glynda.

"Glynda," Ozpin said.

"_Yes?_" she said.

"Return back to the school. We need to find a suitable team for Mister Arc," Ozpin said. He shut the scroll and began walking back to the academy.

"Teams RWBY, you are dismissed. Team PRAN. Please come to my office once your leader gets here," Ozpin said without so much as glancing at them.

"Leader? Jaune or Pyrrha?" Nora asked.

Ozpin only gave them a knowing smirk before turning around once more and heading back.

* * *

**Ozpin's Office**

* * *

"Mister Arc. I'd like to be the first to congratulate you on a job well done," Ozpin said as he looked at Jaune. The rest of Team PRAN stood behind him as they waited with great anticipation on Ozpin's final verdict.

"Thank you, sir," Jaune said. His nervousness was bubbling up inside him, like a dormant volcano ready to burst. The tension was so dense and heavy that one could practically cut through it.

"You have completed your initiation exam and eliminated the Death Stalker albeit it was fairly wounded when you found it," Ozpin said.

"So…," Jaune said.

"That means that we cannot evaluate you based on you eliminating a Grimm that was on the verge of death," Ozpin said.

"Oh," Jaune said, looking down.

"Hey, wait a minute! Jaune completed his task. Was that not enough to allow him to get in?" Pyrrha argued.

"YEAH! That's not fair! Jaune did what he was supposed to do and take out the Deathstalker!" Nora added. Ren nodded, fully supporting the views of his teammates.

"Professor, you can't possibly think of kicking Jaune out because he couldn't fight it," Alice said.

"Please. Quiet down," Ozpin said, lacing every word in his sentence with authority. Team PRAN quieted down as Ozpin trained his hazel orbs on them. "If you would let me continue my statement, that being said, Mister Arc, I feel as if the skills you displayed during your battle with the Glavenus was more than enough for me to perform an evaluation. A Glavenus is no easy Grimm to fight Mister Arc. Even seasoned hunters would be hardpressed to take one down yet you were able to creatively take one on. You displayed a calm and sound mind during the battle, a vast improvement from your initial self when you first came here."

"I only got lucky with that fight," Jaune said.

"I disagree. Whatever you were doing outside of Beacon was obviously effective if you were able to survive and even harm the Grimm," Ozpin said.

"Well, it wasn't as if I wasn't pressed against the wall," Jaune said. "I was just trying to survive. And Pyrrha technically helped me."

"Whatever the case may be, you were able to hold your own before assistance came and that to me shows that you do possess the skill needed to be at this school," Ozpin said.

"So that means that…," Jaune said.

"Yes, Mister Arc. Welcome back to Beacon Academy," Ozpin said.

"YES!" Jaune pumped his fist and jumped into the air, cheering.

Ren and Nora smiled and high fived while Alice nodded in approval. Pyrrha hugged Jaune tightly as Ozpin and Glynda watched the heartwarming reunion between them.

"Now there's only the matter of team assignment," Ozpin said.

Everyone went silent and focused their attention back on Ozpin.

"As you know, Beacon Teams are normally teams of four. Mister Arc being here presents an unprecedented situation as all the first-year teams are currently full. I also feel that if we were to wait until the next batch of Beacon First Years arrives, we would be doing a detriment to Mister Arc's education and training as a hunter. In addition, Mister Arc would most likely better perform if he was placed into a team dynamic he's more familiar with rather than being dumped into a new one. Therefore, it is with sound judgment and sound mind that I propose to place Mister Arc within Team PRAN as its leader once more. Your team name shall be reconfigured. From henceforth, you shall be known as Team JNPAR. Congratulations."

"What about our dorms? We can't possibly accommodate five people," Pyrrha said.

"Don't worry. We'll send someone to expand your room while you're in class. For now, I believe that it won't be a problem for Mister Arc and Miss Nikos to share a bed," Ozpin said.

Jaune and Pyrrha turned red as they failed to get the words out of their mouth. Alice both placed a hand on their shoulder and spoke up.

"Those arrangements are acceptable for now," Alice said.

"Very well. Mister Arc. Do you have any luggage that you need to retrieve?" Ozpin asked.

"Actually, I asked the pilot to bring them up to our dorm," Pyrrha said.

"I see. You're dismissed. I've pulled you away from your classes long enough," Ozpin said.

"Yes, that's right. Mister Arc, your schedule is the same as before so right now you five should be in my classroom," Glynda said, scrolling through her scroll. She clicked a button and Jaune's scroll ringed.

"What's this?" Jaune pulled his scroll out and saw his ID pop up. Right next to his name was the emblem of Beacon Academy.

"This shows that you're enrolled in the school once more as well as restored you to your team," Glynda said.

Jaune nodded as he pocketed his scroll.

"Now, go get to my classroom. I'll meet you there shortly," Glynda said.

They nodded and turned around. Before they entered the elevator, Jaune turned around and looked at Ozpin.

"Thank you," he said.

"Whatever for Mister Arc?" Ozpin asked.

"For taking me back. For accepting me into Beacon Academy again," Jaune said.

"It's of no concern Mister Arc. People who work hard to change should be allowed to have a second chance," Ozpin said.

Jaune nodded before turning around and leaving with his team.

As soon as they left Ozpin sighed and leaned back into his chair. He placed his hand on the bridge of his nose.

"Something a matter?" Glynda asked.

"There was a Glavenus in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin said.

"Yes, there was. It's rather strange, isn't it? A Sanctuary Level Grimm appearing so close to Beacon. Is she making a move?" Ozpin said as he brought up a hologram of the Glavenus.

"I don't know but I suggest that we up our security and surveillance around Vale and Beacon. While the appearance of a Sanctuary Level Grimm could set off a few red flags, it's better to be safe than sorry, especially since…," Glynda trailed off.

"Hmm. Glynda. Call him back here. We'll need all the data that he's gathered at the moment," Ozpin said.

"Right, about that," Glynda handed him her scroll. Ozpin took it and turned it on, seeing a red chess piece with a message that stated "The Queen has pawns".

"I see," Ozpin said. _Just what are you planning?_

The newly christened Team JNPAR exited the elevator and began to make their way down the hallway. Jaune sighed as he felt the stares of every student around him.

"I wish they'd stop looking," Jaune said.

"I mean, you were dead," Nora pointed out. Rapid footsteps were heard approaching them.

"Jaune!"

The team turned around when they saw a brunette rabbit faunus running up to them. She stopped and panted, a bead of sweat running down her forehead. The girl straightened herself and grabbed Jaune's hands.

"Jaune! You're alive!" she said happily.

"Velvet?" Jaune said.

"Yes! I can't believe this! You're actually too stubborn to die!" she said.

"Ehehe," Jaune laughed in an embarrassed manner.

"How have you been?" she asked, letting go of his hand.

"I've been put through Hell by my trainer," Jaune said.

"Really? You'll have to tell me and the others all about it but I need to get to class. I'll see you and your team after class, yeah?" Velvet asked.

"Sure," Jaune said. "But I need some time to settle back in so rain check? Maybe a few days from now?"

"Oh yeah sure!" Velvet said. "Oh… I have to go!"

Velvet smiled and waved goodbye as she ran off down the hall.

"Velvet's changed," Jaune said.

"A bit. It all started after your parents went on a rampage," Pyrrha said.

"Mom and Dad went on a rampage?" Jaune asked.

"Sort of," Alice said as they rounded a corner. Eventually, they arrived at the combat classroom and took their seats in their usual spots. The other teams arrived with Team RWBY arriving and sat down in front of them. Blake turned around and smiled at them.

"How was it?" Blake asked.

"Well, you're looking at the recently reinstated team leader of the newly christened Team JNPAR," Jaune said. "Ozpin said that he didn't want to wait an extra semester to put me in so he made me the team leader again."

"That's wonderful! But… what about space?" she asked.

"He said he'd be working on that," Ren said, "Though Jaune and Pyrrha have to sleep on the same bed since we only have four at the moment."

Blake smiled but felt something snap inside her. She was jealous. She was feeling extremely jealous. She should've done something. She should've volunteered for Jaune to stay in their dorms and now because of her inability to act. Now Pyrrha was vastly ahead of her. Well, she naturally was. Pyrrha, as she learned much to her despair, was Jaune's girlfriend during the festival. Suffice to say, it did not boil over well for her.

"That's wonderful!" Blake said, hiding her anger.

"!" Ruby was about to say something when Glynda walked into the classroom.

"Attention! I have an important announcement to make that I shall only make once!" Glynda said, whipping her riding crop. The sound of it hitting her hand resounded across the entire classroom.

"First of all, I would like to welcome you all back from your break. Even though you were on break, I expect that none of you slacked in your studies as well as training because we will be training you even harder now that we are mere months from the Vytal Festival. I assume that all of you noticed some new additions as well as an old one. Let's get the old addition out of the way," Glynda said, staring at Jaune. She sent him a look and he stood.

Every student in the room turned their heads to look at him.

"As you know, last semester, Mister Arc was deemed to be KIA with no retrievable remains but it seems that we have made our judgement a bit too early. Mister Arc was recovering in a village and has now returned to school with proper training. He has passed the test that Ozpin provided for him and I expect all of you to treat him like a student," Glynda said, scanning the room.

"That includes you, Mister Winchester," Glynda said, cutting off Cardin before he could even speak. Cardin grumbled as he looked down at his hands. He sent not-so-subtle glares at Jaune, though the Arc did not pay him any mind.

"Moving on to our other news, other students have begun to move in due to the upcoming Vytal Festival. We expect you to treat them with the respect that is afforded to a fellow hunter and the respect that you all show each other. Please refrain from starting conflicts with the students of the other school. Again we are talking to not just Team CRDL but to all of you," Glynda said.

Ruby raised her hand.

"Yes," Glynda said.

"What are the requirements to participate in the Vytal Tournament?" Ruby asked.

"The Vytal Tournament consists of three rounds. The first round is a four on four team round, followed by a duo against duo round, and it is followed by our singles match. Unfortunately, teams with more than four members are not allowed to participate," Glynda said.

"Wait, so we can't fight?" Jaune asked.

"Yes. We feel as if having your team, a team of five participate, would be unfair to the other teams, Mister Arc," Glynda said.

"Oh," Jaune said.

"It's alright," Pyrrha whispered. "I never cared for the tournament anyway. And that's less pressure for our team to do anything."

"Still," Jaune said.

"We'll talk about it as a team later," Pyrrha said.

Jaune nodded before turning back to Glynda.

"Right. Anyway, remember that during the Vytal Tournament, we are all one school and that all students in Beacon will be representing the entirety of the Kingdom of Vale so we expect you to do your best to represent us," Glynda said.

All of the Beacons Students nodded in unison, causing Glynda's lips to curve upward a bit.

"Now, moving on with day to day matters. We will continue class as normal today with a few changes," Glynda said. "There will be no matches today-"

Groans met her statement before Glynda whipped her riding crop to silence them.

"Before you all complain and boo, I was going to use this time and dismiss all of you to go back to your dorms and begin to formulate and prepare for the tournament," Glynda said.

"In addition, the next time you'll be in this classroom will be when we start simulating matches from the Vytal Festival to get you used to their format. So please, come to class expecting to fight against another team," Glynda said, "Any questions?"

"Yes?" Glynda pointed to Weiss.

"What about our other classes? Will time be taken off them to prepare us for the tourney?" she asked.

"No. Classes will resume as normal, however, the format of this class shall be altered for the purpose of preparing you all for the format of the tournament," Glynda answered. "Any more?"

"None?" Glynda looked over her classroom to see no hands being raised. She sighed and walked out of the room. "Class dismissed."

"That was odd," Jaune said.

"It was," Alice agreed.

As Team JNLVA got up, Ruby intercepted them before they could leave the room. She stood before them with a smile on her face. Jaune felt a bit uncomfortable at Ruby's smile and how he felt that she was directing her gaze at him, despite knowing that she was looking at his entire team. Ruby stepped forward.

"Hey, wanna meet up in the commons of our dorm to catch up?" Ruby asked.

"Uh," Jaune said, trying to think of an excuse to say no. He really wanted to take this time to settle back down and begin to think of other ways that his team to get in on the Vytal Festival.

"Um, Ruby, can we get a rain check on that?" Alice said. "We'd rather prefer if Jaune could get settled back in before he-!"

"Come on," Yang said. "We want to know what he's been up to and to… you know…"

"Yang, they clearly don't want to do it," Blake said.

"But Blake, apologies must be made," Weiss said.

"But I really need to get some-!" Jaune was interrupted as Pyrrha stepped forward. She glanced at him and he knew immediately what she was thinking. He sighed and shrugged.

"We'd love to," she said.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Yeah, Ruby. I could use a bit of unwinding," Jaune said.

Ruby smiled and opened the door, walking out of the classroom first. Jaune looked at Pyrrha who just smiled and followed them out alongside the rest of his team and the remainder of team RWBY. The walk to the commons of the dorms took much longer than they thought it would. The awkwardness that was present between the two teams was something that he couldn't describe but could feel in waves. He didn't know why Ruby picked now of all times to dig up the past but in his mind, Pyrrha was right. If he heard them out now, he could get this all out in the open.

After a few agonizing minutes, the two teams arrived at their dorms and stood across from each other. Jaune stood in front of his team while staring down the R, W, and Y of team RWBY. Blake scooted off to the side and began to watch what could possibly be the most satisfying yet worst chewing out of her entire life. While she believed that Jaune was capable of chewing someone out, she didn't have much hope that he could possibly… inflict any lasting harm on them or make them feel any more pain and guilt than they already have. But Jaune had been on the road for a while so maybe he could have changed a bit while he was out there.

"So Jaune? What do you want to do? Remnant: The Game? Maybe read a few books? Study? Catch up? I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell," Ruby said, firing off each sentence like a bullet. She didn't give Jaune any room to respond or leave which left him trying to catch up and formulate a response.

"Um, maybe, we could catch up I guess since that's what we came here to do," Jaune said.

"So Vomit Boy, what did you do while you were away from Beacon?" Yang asked.

"I, uh, spent a lot of time healing and training… that's pretty much it," Jaune said. This was rather… strange for him. Yang was being way too friendly with him. It was as if she had forgotten the role she played in his suffering after his transcripts were revealed. He also noticed that Weiss hadn't called him an idiot or a dolt yet. She just sent him a soft smile whenever they locked eyes.

"Nothing interesting? Like who you trained with? Did you get a girlfriend while you were gone?"

Jaune coughed as his face turned slightly red before rapidly composing himself. Those lessons in calmness from Maria helped and his constant reminders that Yang was currently not his friend.

"Nothing interesting. Besides, why would you care?" Jaune asked.

"Because… we're friends…," Yang said, however, she sounded unsure of her answer. "We are friends right?"

"You're kidding," Jaune said.

"Look, I'm sorry for assuming that we're still friends but...," Yang was cut off as Jaune spoke.

"But nothing. You helped them. We were supposed to be friends but you actively contributed to what I went through. I understood why you were so mad and I put up with it in the hopes that you all would see how sorry I was but… it started going too far! Remember when you helped Cardin trip me and then you even threw a few punches? I do! Do you remember when Weiss just left me to get beat up by one of the other teams? Did Weiss even hear me call to her for help or did she just ignore me?" Jaune said. Weiss flinched at the accusation.

"Did you also know I began to take pills? The school psychologist diagnosed me as depressed!," Jaune said softly.

Everyone's eyes widened. They didn't know any of that. Pyrrha was hit the hardest. Once again, Jaune was suffering through something and never told her. She knew about the bullying and the abuse but she never knew that it ran so deeply.

Pyrrha grabbed Jaune's hand and squeezed it softly, calming him down.

Jaune breathed and straightened his face.

"What about Ren and Nora? They left you there," Weiss said.

"We know what we did Weiss but… unlike Yang who assumed that Jaune would just forgive and forget, we actively reached out to him back at Aurbis Base and are still working on getting Jaune's trust back. We're not going to assume that just because he's being nice to us that he's one hundred percent our friend again," Ren said.

Weiss went quiet and glanced at Jaune.

"He's right. If you're going to call me your friend, at least have the decency to acknowledge what happened and your hand in it. If not, this was a waste of our time," Jaune said. He turned around and began to walk away when he felt someone grab his arm.

"Jaune! Wait! Please… please don't go," Ruby said.

"I'm sorry Ruby but I don't think our teams should be seen together for a bit. At least, until I calm down a bit to be able to tolerate your sister and Weiss," Jaune said. He gently removed his arm from Ruby's grasp and walked away.

Pyrrha looked between Jaune and Ruby, sending the girl a small apologetic smile before running after Jaune. Alice looked at Team RWBY with a cold stare and walked off, followed by Ren and Nora.

"I messed up didn't I?" Yang said.

"Messed up? YOU DID MORE THAN MESS UP! THIS WAS OUR CHANCE TO SET THINGS STRAIGHT AND APOLOGIZE!" Ruby yelled. Yang took a step back. Ruby was rarely angry and during the times she was, it was generally comical but this Ruby, this Ruby was genuinely angry and it scared her.

"Ruby, calm down-!"

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN ICE QUEEN!" Ruby said. "Now sit there and be quiet! That's an order!"

Weiss shut up and looked away.

Ruby turned her smoldering silver gaze back on her older sister.

"Yang, what went through that head of yours when you decided to greet him like nothing ever happened when you know that wasn't the case," Ruby said.

"I was just being friendly. I thought if I was nice, we could ease into the apology," Yang said.

"And you say I have no social tact?" Ruby said incredulously. "Jeez! We talked about this! We were going to work for it, not ease our way into it! This isn't a bar, Yang! This was supposed to be the first step to rebuilding our bridge to Jaune!"

"I know… I know… I'm sorry. It's just the moment I saw him, I don't know, everything we said we would say just went flying out the window. I was… nervous at seeing him again after everything I did. I'm genuinely surprised he didn't attack me on the spot," Yang said in an uncharacteristically meek manner.

Ruby's features softened when she saw how sorry Yang was.

"No, no, it's fine. He said that he'd talk to us again once things settled down a little," Ruby said.

"Ruby," Blake said.

"Don't think that I haven't figured it out," Ruby said. "You knew he was alive when you got back but didn't tell us."

Blake remained silent.

"No more secrets, Blake," Ruby said.

She nodded in response to Ruby's words.

Ruby sighed. "Let's just go back to the dorm and get some rest. It'll clear our heads of what just happened and we can approach this at another angle."

They nodded and went back to their dorms.

* * *

Ozpin looked outside of his window. Today was the day the students would begin to pour in. Students from the other Kingdoms of Mistral, Atlas, and Vacuo would arrive at Beacon in order to participate in the Vytal Tournament which was being held at Beacon Academy this time. But his primary concern was a certain someone.

"Should I do something about this?" Glynda asked, glancing at the armada that had assembled itself above their Academy.

Eight large airships hovered above Beacon. The ships had a distinct arrow-shaped hull and were a dark chrome silver in color. It had two nacelles protruding from its sides while a series of spines that were used for aerial navigation protruded from the engine supports. Several exhaust nozzles protruded from in between the spines as well as two propulsion nozzles were seen extending from the nacelles. The ship had large forward laser batteries.

"No, I assume James is currently on his way here?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes, but did he seriously have to bring an army?" Glynda asked.

"You know James," Ozpin said.

As if on cue, the elevator door rang and outstepped a man who possessed the stature and demeanor of a man who demanded the respect and attention of everyone in the room. He dressed sharply, wearing a white overcoat with two breast pockets and the Atlesian Emblem on his arm. He wore a grey undercoat with a black sweater as well as a red tie. His pants were the same color as his overcoat, tucked into his silver boots with grey accents.

"James," Ozpin said, seeing his reflection in the window.

"Ozpin. Glynda, you look as lovely as ever," James said.

"Oh, James," Glynda said, crossing her arms.

"Glynda, please excuse us," Ozpin said.

She nodded and left the room, not even bothering to glance at the general on her way out.

"She hasn't changed," James said.

"Hmm, she just doesn't agree with some of the things Atlas performs behind closed doors," Ozpin said. "But that's not what we're here to discuss."

"I see you have grievances about the fleet but I assure you that I am doing this to safeguard the Vytal Festival," James said.

"James, we're currently living in a time of peace. The War ended ages ago. There's no need for power displays such as this. People might get the wrong opinion, especially since the Vytal Festival of all events is coming up," Ozpin said.

"Normally, I wouldn't however, Qrow's warning shows that this world isn't as peaceful nor are we as safe as we want to believe," James said.

"Our world has never been the ideal world we wanted it to be where we don't have to live in fear of Grimm and people such as her and Roman don't exist… however, if we are to heed Qrow's warning, then we must handle this tactfully and arm our forces rather than perform a power display in hopes of scaring them all off," Ozpin said.

"You can never be too careful, Ozpin. Especially with what we know," James said. A beeping noise went off on his wrist.

"Work?" Ozpin asked.

"An incoming transmission from Winter," James said. "Excuse me, I have to take this."

"Of course," Ozpin said. James nodded and turned around, making his way to the elevator. He stopped before opening the door, glancing over at Ozpin.

"Are you sure your children are capable of performing within the setting of war?" James asked.

"I pray that they never have to," Ozpin said.

* * *

**Haha! Alright, so that's the end of this chapter. I'd like to thank the reviewer WearmyCurmudgeon for helping me come up with the team name for JNLVA. JNLVA is derived from the name of a mineral named Johnkoivulate which is a gem from a Beryl Group and is violet in color, which I gotta say fits with the color of Jaune's aura. Another thing is that I introduced a way to class Grimm which is based on the classification of Honkai Beasts from Honkai Impact 3rd.**

**So from lowest to highest:**

**-Radical Class Grimm. Examples are Beowolves, Rapier Wasps, and Boarbatusks.**

**-Cavalier Class Grimm. Examples are Ursas. Alpha Beowolves.**

**-Ballista Class Grimm. Nevermores are in this class.**

**-Chariot Class Grimm. An example is a Goliath and Deathstalkers. Nuckelavees are Chariot Class Grimm as well.**

**-Sanctuary Class Grimm. The Glavenus in this chapter was an example. Garm are also Sanctuary Class Grimm as well as some Elder Grimm.**

**-Emperor Class Grimm. Apathy, Sphinx, Manticore, Megoliath, and Sea Leifong are Emperor Class Grimm.**

**-Judgement Class Grimm. The strongest type of Grimm. Grimm such as the Wyvern are Judgement Class Grimm.**

**Well, that's the end of that chapter. Remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours~!**

**Edit: I read your comments and I have to agree. Sorry, Wearmy but thank you for the suggestion. Team JNPAR does sound better since it is closer to team JNPR.**


	18. Arc 3: Confrontation

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

* * *

Jaune slid back and fell to one knee. He gripped Sol and Luna tightly, glancing at his opponent. His opponent walked over to him with a confident strut that Jaune found arousing. The way her scarlet locks cascaded over her shoulders to the way she swayed her hips ever so slightly because she knew that it drove him crazy. Her emerald eyes looked down on Jaune as she smiled softly. Pyrrha extended her hand and helped him up.

"You got better. I can see that," Pyrrha said as she rubbed her side. Jaune had managed to land an extremely hard blow to her torso. A bruise was going to form in a little bit with how hard she'd been hit.

"Is your side okay?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha smiled and nodded.

"You've really improved. Whatever Maria had you do is working," Pyrrha said as she wiped her forehead with a towel.

"You're still as strong as ever. Even with my training, I still couldn't bring your aura down to even 80%," Jaune said.

"But Jaune, this was a big improvement. Even if I did hold back, you still managed to get me down to below 90 so don't cut yourself short. You've definitely gotten stronger," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah but next time, please don't hold back. I need to measure myself against a serious Pyrrha," he said. He gave her a radiant smile to which she responded.

"Sure, but are you sure you can handle my full effort?" she asked.

"Of course I can," Jaune said.

"Then be ready. Come on. Let's get back before Nora gets to the shower first," Pyrrha said. Jaune nodded and followed after her.

* * *

Jaune sat bored in class as Professor Port began another one of his long tirades about how he had slain a Grimm when he was younger. It's not as if the stories weren't informative, they were just extremely boring and sometimes even farfetched. He had recalled one class period where the elderly man had described slaying a Beowolf that was larger than a bullhead. He would've called bullshit but he was in class and he needed to be respectful to his teachers.

Next to him, Pyrrha was barely keeping herself awake, leaning into Jaune.

_So warm_, Pyrrha thought as her head fell on Jaune's shoulder. Her eyes were drooping and she could barely make out what story Port was telling them this time.

"Psst. Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha looked up to see her ever-so-loving boyfriend looking at her.

"What?" she whispered.

"Wanna go get dinner outside of Beacon? Just you and me?" Jaune asked.

"Like a date?" Pyrrha asked.

"If you want," Jaune said.

"Then it's a date," Pyrrha said, kissing his cheek. She needed that. That kiss she gave him recharged her batteries as much as it recharged his. She couldn't go a day without her daily dose of double A Jaune batteries.

"And then! I put that Bovine through the ringer and that's how I got this scar right here!" Port said, lifting his pant leg to reveal a jagged scar running down the back of his thigh.

"Oh, Israfil why?" Jaune said as he saw Port's hairy leg. Pyrrha's face turned green as she buried herself in Jaune's uniform sleeve. Nora closed her eyes and began to slam her head on her desk while Ren's eyes went blank. Alice had begun to pray fervently, wishing this was all just one horrible nightmare. The three seconds between Port showing his legs to the class and the bell ringing passed with the speed of an eternity.

"Well, remember class that you have a report on Sabers due on Monday and make sure you have memorized the classifications and ranks of Grimm understood! Mister Arc's fight against the Glavenus has shown me how severely undereducated we are when it comes to Grimm rankings!" Port announced as the bell rang. The class groaned as they filed out of the classroom.

"Jeez, all this because of a Glavenus?" Jaune said. Ever since Jaune been reinstated into Beacon, his fight with a Glavenus spread through the entire student body and staff like wildfire and Port had deemed it necessary to add to the Grimm Studies course. Of course, no one was happy at the fact and some of his old detractors had begun to blame him for the fact that Port was adding more. However, Jaune didn't mind. If there was anything that traveling taught him, it was that nothing they taught here at Beacon remotely mimicked that of the harsh reality of the outside.

He shivered as the face of that man he killed came back to him. His parents had gone over his first kill before he had left for Beacon privately. It was one of those moments where Jaune was glad that his parents wished for them to live a normal life. Killing that man had certainly opened his eyes to the stark reality of the world he lived in. It was nothing to the delusions of grandeur and fame that the other students had and certainly nothing like the fantasies that he and Ruby had.

Wishing to save everyone. Not everyone can be saved is what Jaune learned. Some people were irredeemable and choosing to kill can be the deciding factor between your life and another's. He glanced at his team.

He smiled. They were all so innocent… mostly. Ren and Nora knew firsthand how cruel the world was and Alice could feel the turmoil inside him. As they entered the lunchroom, Pyrrha tugged on his sleeve.

"Are you okay? You seemed pretty serious the entire walk. You didn't even make a joke," she said.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," Jaune said.

"Well, whatever is troubling you… you can tell me or tell the others. We're here for you Jaune," Pyrrha said.

"Thanks, Pyr," he said, grasping her hand. She smiled and gave him a comforting squeeze. The two picked up their lunch and sat with the rest of Team JNPAR in their usual spot. The usual spot being the same spot they had sat for the entirety of their tenure at Beacon. In front of team RWBY. Team relations between the sister teams had gone sour when RWY, mostly the W and Y, had turned against Jaune. Following his "death", it had gotten even worse to the point where the two teams had basically ignored each other or rather, Team PRAN ignoring team RWBY.

But now, Jaune was here and things didn't seem to change… mostly. Blake, who had remained quiet since Jaune's death, started talking again. To Jaune and his team mostly but she talked. While outside of lunch, she remained amicable with Yang, Ruby, and Weiss, during lunch, she barely acknowledged their existence, spending minutes talking to Alice or Pyrrha.

"So Jaune," Ruby said. "How's your food?"

Jaune stopped eating and looked at Ruby.

"It's okay, I guess," Jaune said. "I kinda missed Beacon food. Running out of food while traveling really makes you appreciate school lunch."

"Where'd you go? I'd love to hear about what you did," Ruby said. _So far so good! This is the most we've talked since our initial confrontation!_

"Maybe some other time," Jaune said. "Actually, maybe, I can tell you about-"

"ARC!"

Jaune stopped eating and turned around, only for a mashed potato to fly into his face. The entire lunchroom, except for their table, erupted in laughter as gravy and potato slid down Jaune's face.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, glaring at the perpetrator. Cardin smirked, holding the spoon up while the rest of his team alongside the student body howled in laughter. She handed Jaune a napkin which he graciously accepted and wiped his face. He remained silent, turning around and continuing to eat.

"What? Gonna ignore me? Come on, Jauney-boy! I thought we were friends!" Cardin said as he scooped another load of mash into his spoon. He launched it only for Pyrrha to intercept it with her plate.

"What's your problem?" Pyrrha asked.

"Gonna have your girl fight your battles for you Arc? If so, then she really picked the worst guy to hook up with, considering how much of a beta male you're being right now!" Cardin said, smiling as Jaune said nothing.

Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she clenched her fist. Cardin's spoon glowed black before bending back in his hand.

Cardin dropped the spoon and glared at the Champion. As Pyrrha got up to confront him, Jaune grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Jaune! I won't let them talk to you that…," her voice died when she saw the violet flames flickering inside Jaune's eyes. His glare was terrifying, despite it not being directed at her. The promise of death made manifest in the normally kind blue eyes of her boyfriend was enough to make her want to back away in fear.

"If you want to fight Winchester," Jaune said as his aura manifested around him. A massive pressure fell on Cardin as he suddenly found it hard to breathe. He stared with a healthy amount of fear in his eyes as Jaune approached him.

"Wait until we get to Goodwitch. Then we can fight all you want," Jaune said in a near-emotionless voice. Cardin looked into Jaune's eyes and watched himself get mutilated in a thousand different ways.

"Jaune, calm down," Pyrrha said, placing a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. Despite the fear, she quickly crushed it and walked over to him, squeezing his shoulder in a concerned manner.

"You're right, sorry about that," he said, smiling apologetically.

Cardin let out a breath he didn't know he had kept in. He gathered his wits about him as Jaune walked away and snapped. He got up from his chair and ran at Jaune, his fist cocked and poised to strike.

Pyrrha saw all this happening and moved to intercept when Jaune reacted just before Cardin's fist made contact with the back of his head. He swiftly evaded Cardin's fist and tripped him, causing the larger man to land face-first on the floor. Cardin wasted no time, getting back up and going in for another strike when his hand was covered in a violet aura.

"Mister Winchester! Mister Arc! What is going on here!?" Glynda said as she held her riding crop out.

"Cardin threw some mash at Jaune's face," Yang said.

Glynda nodded and walked over to Cardin.

"Was what I said earlier this semester not clear enough?" Glynda said.

"Yes, it was," Cardin said.

"If I catch you doing this again, I will have no choice but to recommend you for expulsion! With the amount of actions we have on record, we could have you expelled at any time however, your father is an influential member of the Valean Upper Class. Remember that that's the only reason you're still here, Mister Winchester," Glynda said. She quickly turned on Jaune.

"If you have a bone to pick with Mister Winchester, that is understandable but please refrain from doing so. As a student, you are subject to rules that can grant you the same punishment as Mister Winchester, are we clear, Mister Arc?" Glynda asked.

"Yes, Professor," Jaune said.

"Good. I hope I don't hear of another situation like this for the rest of the semester or else," Glynda said, releasing Cardin. She walked out of the lunchroom. Cardin sent Jaune a sharp glare before returning to his team. Jaune sighed and returned to his seat.

"You stood up to him," Pyrrha said.

"Cardin's just an ass. He's not that scary," Jaune said.

Pyrrha giggled.

"Well, you certainly looked manly doing so," she said.

"What, I didn't look manly when I did it all those other times?" he asked.

"Of course you did but this time, you looked so… primal," Pyrrha said.

"Not here you two. Please not here," Alice said.

Pyrrha and Jaune came back down from their own personal world and saw the entire table looking at them with more or less amused gazes. Blake and Ruby's faces held strained smiles, however, which confused Jaune and made Pyrrha narrow her eyes.

"Yeah, you two have been doing a lot of PDA even in our dorm room. The flirtatious talking, the flirtatious whispering, that thing you do when you think no one is around where you softly exhale on Pyrrha's neck, and that one time-!"

"AND THAT'S ENOUGH NORA!" Jaune said, placing his hand over her mouth.

Pyrrha hid her face in Jaune's arm once more as she suffered more embarrassment in a single moment than she had in her entire life.

* * *

"That's enough," Glynda said as she stopped the fight. Alice flicked her hair out of the way and sheathed her blade. She extended her hand and sent the student a brilliant smile. The student she had fought was a wolf faunus who wielded a tomahawk. The student smiled back and accepted her hand, shaking it as the two calmly walked off the stage.

"Whoo! GO SIS!" Jaune said, causing Alice to wave and smile at him. She walked back up the stairs to the team seat and sat next to her brother.

"Nice fight right?" Alice asked.

Jaune nodded.

"Who's going next I wonder?" Jaune asked.

Glynda pressed a button on her scroll as the screen rapidly shifted between the entire class roster. She watched the screen carefully as the next two fighters were selected. When their images appeared, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. This fight was going to be a recipe for disaster. For which side, she didn't know yet. However, this fight was going to have a lot of emotion going into it.

"Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester. Will you please change into your combat gear and make your way down into the arena?" Glynda asked.

The entire room went silent when their names were called. A malevolent smile manifested on Cardin's face. He was going to pay that blonde bastard back for the humiliation he suffered in the lunchroom today.

_You should've stayed dead, Arc. I'll show you why coming back to Beacon was a mistake_, Cardin thought as he walked into the locker room.

Jaune was silent as he changed into his combat armor. He grabbed Sol and Luna from his locker and gripped them tightly. He knew this fight was going to happen. He needed to come to terms with it.

"I guess… I've been running from this for too long. Come on, Arc. It's time to prove your worth here to everyone. Time to stand up to your bully," Jaune said as he clenched his fist. He clapped his cheeks and walked out of the locker and onto the arena. As he climbed the stairs to the stage, he felt the eyes of the entire student body on him. He could feel their mixed responses. He knew that even after the word that he slew a Glavenus got out, his acceptance here was met with mixed review by other students.

Today, he would change that.

Glynda's emerald eyes darted back and forth between the two combatants on her stage. She placed her scroll to her side and cracked her riding crop. Pushing up her glasses, she spoke, "Alright, I know tensions are high in this fight but… please refrain from dealing _lasting_ harm to the other person. Are we clear? Both of you?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, gulping loudly.

"Crystal," Cardin said. A cocky smirk appeared on his face. This match would be easy if his past matches with Jaune were any indication.

_3_

Jaune gulped. He gripped his weapons tightly as he dropped into a stance.

_2_

Team JNPAR sat with great anticipation in their seats as Pyrrha bit her lip. Blake and Ruby looked on with worry.

_1_

"Begin!" Glynda said.

Without any warning, Cardin slammed his mace on the floor, triggering the dust crystal inside of his weapon. A series of fiery explosions erupted from the ground and headed towards Jaune. He sidestepped, barely dodging the explosion but felt the brunt of the wave as he slid back.

His eyes widened as Cardin slammed his mace into his chest. Jaune grunted as he dug the blades of his scythes into the ground. His aura bar had decreased by fifteen percent.

"Well, this scene looks familiar. In the next couple of seconds, I'll beat you into the ground again like the old days, right Jauney-boy?" Cardin said as he swaggered his way over to Jaune.

Said person remained silent as he slowly got up. His eyes began to burn with a faint violet light as he gripped Sol and Luna tightly. Without so much as a twitch or indication of what he was going to do next, Jaune threw Luna at Cardin, catching the man offguard.

He barely raised his mace to block the scythe, sending it off course and causing it to land a few feet away from him. He was suddenly put on the defensive as Jaune appeared in front of him with such speeds that even the experienced students in the crowd had trouble keeping up with.

He swung Sol, cutting into several places of Cardin's armor, landing what appeared to be eight cuts within the span of a few seconds. On the screen, Cardin's aura bar decreased steadily as Jaune kept up his attacks.

"RAAH!" Cardin swung his mace, attempting to knock Jaune back. The male Arc twin jumped back, avoiding the blow before clicking a button on Sol. The weapon glowed violet as it resonated with Luna. The other scythe shook before flying from its place on the ground and towards Jaune.

Cardin, who was blind to what was happening, gasped when he felt something cut into his back and knock him down. The Winchester looked up and saw something fly into his opponent's hand. The other scythe.

"What just happened? Is Jaune using Pyrrha's semblance?" Ruby asked.

"No, his weapon is outfitted with Gravity Dust. Luna will always be pulled towards Sol as he said like their namesakes," Pyrrha said, admiring the ingenuity of Jaune's tactics and weapon design.

"Fucking! ARC!" Cardin roared in rage as he ran towards Jaune. He swung his mace several times to try to hit the smaller boy but failed as Jaune dodged each and every one of them. To someone who had spent several months on the road fighting Grimm and people that the students would have trouble with and most likely die to, Cardin was just cannon fodder compared to them. Sighing, he ducked under Cardin's swing and performed an X-slash with his scythes, using their hooked blade to dig into Cardin's armor and throw him across the arena.

Cardin slid and skipped across the ground before finally sliding to a stop. He glanced at the screen which displayed their auras and saw that Jaune hadn't dropped from 85% while he had dropped nearly 47% since the match started.

He growled as he fired off explosion after explosion from his mace. Jaune was forced to run across the arena to avoid the explosions. He had been at the receiving intent of lethal intent before and knew what Cardin was trying to do.

_The fucker is trying to actually kill me!_ He thought as he outran the blasts. He turned suddenly, forcing Cardin to change his aim. Jaune raised his vambrace and fired a round, causing Cardin to swing his mace to deflect the shot. Taking advantage of Cardin's pause in firing, he threw Sol at Cardin. Cardin deflected the throw, sending Sol into the air.

He swung his mace as Jaune jumped into the air, once again activating Luna's gravity receptors as he flew towards Sol. He grabbed the scythe and manifested several aura arms and sent them at Cardin.

The student was suddenly barraged with a flurry of aura fists as he was beaten into the ground.

Jaune landed in front of Cardin, looking at him warily. He couldn't let his guard down. His opponent was someone who wasn't afraid of fighting dirty and would do anything to win. As he approached Cardin's prone form, he suddenly moved out of the way as a hail of explosions erupted from Cardin's mace.

Jaune suddenly found himself being launched across the arena as the same weapon slammed into his ribs. He gritted his teeth in pain as he felt something break and landed on the ground. He groaned as he heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Cardin's boot connected with Jaune's jaw and sent him sprawling on his back.

His eyes snapped open as he formed an aura shield when he saw the mace come down. He threw his hand forward as a wave of aura came from the shield, throwing Cardin back.

Jaune shakily got to his feet as he stood up. He glanced at the screen.

_Jaune Arc: 56%_

_Cardin Winchester: 45%_

His semblance was still costing him too much aura. At this point, he needed to save it for tough situations such as Cardin's barrage of attacks. As the two circled each other, he heard Cardin speak.

"You know, when you died, the entire student body felt bad for you. As if they had forgotten what you did. How you cheated your way into the school and endangered the lives of your teammates and your partner. Don't you find yourself asking if gee, I don't know, Pyrrha fucking Nikos deserves a better partner than you? Because everyone else was. You, a nobody from the countryside, sneaking into our school and ruining its good name as well as the reputation of your partner," Cardin said.

"...," Jaune remained silent as he listened to Cardin's every word.

"Nothing to say? You really are a worthless prick, Arc," he said.

"Why that no good son of a-!"

Pyrrha felt her arm being pulled back. She turned and saw Blake and Yang holding her arms.

"Blake?" Pyrrha asked.

"Just pay attention to Jaune," she said.

Pyrrha turned to see Alice shaking with fury but restraining herself. Well, restraining herself as much as she possibly could given the slight golden glow she was giving off. To Alice's right, Nora had gripped the arm of her chair so tightly that it snapped while Ren was calmly watching the match with a building anger in his eye. They expected Jaune to snap but to their surprise, he began to laugh.

"You don't think that I haven't thought that? That was my first thought since I was partnered with Pyrrha. My first fucking thought. Even though I didn't know who she was, she was obviously important if everyone wanted to be her partner. When I found out, I constantly wondered why we ended up partners. Why she would even want someone like me on her team? Me! The guy whose parents were supposed to be renowned Gold Rank Hunters!" Jaune ranted as he walked towards Cardin. His aura manifested and grew larger as he got closer.

"But guess what… nothing you say matters because I know my flaws and I acknowledge them and the best I can do… is move forward and not live some fantasy where I think I'm on top!" he said as he slashed Cardin's chest with an aura infused blade.

Cardin screamed in pain as he stumbled back and felt something warm running down his skin. He placed his hand across his chest and looked to see blood. Arc's blade had cut through his armor and into his skin, leaving a moderately deep wound.

"So go ahead demean me. Belittle me. Degrade me. Say that I'm pathetic," Jaune said as he swung Sol.

Cardin made an attempt to block but was hit from the side by his opponent's leg. Jaune quickly followed up by disarming Cardin with Sol and Luna and then landing a kick to his jaw.

"But remember one thing before you do," he said as he got closer to Cardin. "I'm done being your doormat. I'm done being your punching bag."

His eyes burned with a violet flame that could not be quenched. His determination shined inside his azure eyes as he stared coldly down at his opponent.

"I uh eh," Cardin could only stare into Jaune's flaming eyes.

"Enough, Jaune is the winner!" Glynda said.

He nodded and bowed in respect to Glynda.

"You've improved but let me give you one piece of advice, your semblance utilizes a lot of aura like your twin's. I would recommend gaining more control over it before using large scale attacks like that. Your form was also a bit rigid in some areas and you seem to have been letting your emotions and past trauma affect you thus lowering your fighting ability but you managed to pull through in the end," she said.

"Oh," Jaune said, lowering his head slightly.

"That being said, I'm proud of you," Glynda said.

His eyes widened at her words and he smiled. Glynda allowed her lips to curl slightly upward before returning to their usual blank state. She looked at Cardin, who was nursing more than his wounds as he glared at the floor.

"CRDL. Get your team leader to the infirmary," she ordered. The rest of Team CRDL nodded as they made their way to the arena. Sky handed Cardin his mace which he took forcefully.

_Impossible! H- How! HOW DID HE BEAT ME!?_ Cardin thought. His rage filled eyes turned to Jaune, who had turned his back to him and was walking out of the arena.

"HEY ARC!"

Jaune turned to see Cardin aiming his mace.

"EAT SHIT!" he said as he fired.

Time slowed down as the explosions neared Jaune. In the instance, a violet aura wrapped itself around Jaune as he was thrown to the side. He landed next to Glynda, who had her weapon drawn. Her eyes held a fury like no other as she threw Cardin into a wall with her semblance.

"You will head to the infirmary and then we will discuss your punishment after you have received treatment," she said in a deathly calm voice. Her gaze locked onto the other members of Cardin's team as they quickly made their way to their pinned leader. Glynda released her hold, causing Cardin to fall unceremoniously to the floor.

"Mister Arc, you may return to your seat," Glynda said. Jaune nodded and returned to his spot next to Pyrrha.

The rest of combat class had gone smoothly with the standard matches. Team RWBY had plowed through their respective opponents. Fortunately, only Ren was called from his team as the final match of the day.

As they left the classroom, Jaune walked slightly ahead of his team. Alice could feel the worry growing inside him and tugged Pyrrha's sleeve.

"You two need to talk," she said.

"Eh? Me?" Pyrrha asked, surprised.

"You're his girlfriend and partner. He needs you," Alice said. She looked at her boyfriend's back and steeled herself. Pyrrha walked up and grabbed Jaune's hand, dragging him around the corner.

"Woah! Pyr!" Jaune exclaimed, surprised.

"We need to talk," she said as she looked through a window. Perfect. This classroom was empty. She opened the door and pushed Jaune inside, closing the door behind them.

"Sit," she ordered. Surprised at his girlfriend's tone, Jaune had no choice but to obey as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"What is this about?" Jaune asked.

"Was that really how you felt?" Pyrrha asked.

"Felt?"

"Your little speech. Do you really think so little of me?"

Jaune's eyes widened when the contents of his outburst returned to his head. Knowing that it was useless to lie, all he could do was admit the truth.

"I don't… it was just me. I mean, Pyrrha, you're this amazing, invincible champion while I'm just… a regular person. I mean, my entire life, being a hunter was just a dream. All this time, I thought I would inherit the tavern and run it and then die," he said.

"But you're not," Pyrrha said, grabbing his face with her hands. "Listen to me. Don't ever think so lowly about yourself. And don't ever think that I would have such thoughts in my head."

"But," he began.

"No buts. You are Jaune Arc, my amazing, idiotic, brilliant boyfriend, and I don't care if my championship reputation is ruined," she said. She leaned in and kissed him deeply, causing his blue eyes to widen. He slowly leaned into the kiss as Pyrrha sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands snaked around her waist and pulled her in as the two remained liplocked for the next minute.

The two pulled apart with a string of saliva still connecting them. Pyrrha smiled.

"So you really want this?" Jaune asked.

She nodded.

"You don't care if we don't end up living in some high-end mansion in Mistral. You're fine if we end up inheriting the tavern from mom and dad?" he asked.

"You know my answer," she said.

"Planning marriage is a really big step forward," he said.

"I'm not planning one now… after all, we're still young. We can go travel the world together after Beacon," she answered as she laid her head on his chest.

Jaune smiled as he began playing with her crimson tresses, loving the feeling of them running through his fingers.

"Jaune… please, don't demean yourself. Okay? I stand by what I said. I don't care about money or my status, you, Jaune Arc, are all I need," Pyrrha said.

"I guess we're stuck with each other then," Jaune said as a giddy smile appeared on his face.

"We're still up for that date later right?" she asked.

"Yeah. We better get back," he said, attempting to get up.

Pyrrha stopped him by shifting her legs, trapping him in the chair.

"Give me five more minutes to recharge… that speech used up my batteries and I need a little recharge with my Jaune charging station," she said, giggling as she buried her face in his uniform.

He chuckled as he leaned back in the chair. And so, the two sat there in an empty classroom, with no one but each other for company.

* * *

**Vale**

* * *

A man with long bright orange hair stood with a cigarette in his mouth. He had a black bowler atop his head. His bangs covered his right eye. His left eye was lined with eyeliner and he wore a white suit, befitting that of a gentleman. In his hand was a peculiar cane that seemed to be more than it was. He wore black pants.

He was currently supervising the transport of several crates of dust as members of the White Fang moved in and out of the warehouse.

"Roman," a voice said. He turned to see a two people walking in. A girl with mint-green hair and red eyes accompanied by a boy with grey hair and eyes that were the same color as quicksilver.

The girl wore a crop top with a shallow cut at the chest, creating a cleavage window. She wore white pants with brown chaps overlapping with her belt. On her arms were a set of beads and bangles which seemed to be made of gold. She crossed her arms as her red eyes bore into Roman's green ones, not once intimidating him.

The man was well-built and wore a dark grey, slated, high-collar jacket with a black undershirt. The jacket was slightly unzipped, revealing his shirt. His arms were covered in a set of rerebraces and vambraces for protection. He wore dark colored pants and what appeared to be a set of metallic boots.

"Ah, kids!" Roman greeted amicably, setting his scroll down. He walked over and wrapped his arms around them in a friendly manner.

"My, my this is turning out just like the divorce!" Roman said.

"Ugh, spare us the thought of you… doing it," the girl said, pushing him away.

"Jeez… can't handle jokes? And besides, this," Roman said, revealing a small slip of paper, "Will tell me where you've been all day!"

He read over the paper and his eyes widened. "W- Why do you have this address?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know," the girl said. Roman walked over to the both of them with a displeased look on his face.

"Yeah, I actually would. Where were you?" he said.

"We… were cleaning up your mess," the boy said.

"I had that problem under control," he said.

"Did you now?" he retorted, causing Roman to grow even more frustrated.

"If it were up to me," Roman seethed, "I would take you and your little friend and-!"

"And do what Roman?" a sinister voice said. The voice carried a seductive undertone and came from a woman, who stood on the rafters. She wore a red dress with intricate gold designs weaved into them. The dress revealed her shoulders. She had raven black hair which cascaded over her left shoulder and malevolent yellow eyes. She stepped onto a lift and descended to the floor of the warehouse.

"I'd, uh, not kill them?" he said.

"Cinder!" the girl said.

"Emerald, Mercury," she said, before turning to Roman. "I thought I made it clear that anyone who defected would be eliminated."

"I was working on it!" Roman said.

"He was planning to run away," Emerald said, gesturing to Roman's stuff. Behind him was a manifest and a map of the entirety of Remnant. "So Mercury and I decided to take care of our little rat problem."

"Rat? Wasn't he more of a cat?" Mercury said.

"What like a puma?" Emerald said.

"Yeah, that's it," he responded.

"Quiet. Did I not specifically give you two orders not to do anything in Vale?" Cinder asked.

"Well, we thought-!"

"Don't think. Obey," she said.

The two shut up and nodded before Cinder set her sights on Roman. She crossed her arms as looked at him.

"And you. Why was he still alive?" she asked.

"Er… well, sorry, if I've been draining this Kingdom dry of its dust," Roman said.

"You're an inspiration to the common criminal. I applaud you, sir," Mercury said, causing Emerald to snicker.

"Listen up kid and look around. I have this town scared shitless, the cops are scrambling just to get a whiff of my location while the economy is tanking! And we have ourselves a massive supply of what they need! So if you don't mind, tell me what we're planning so I can act accordingly," Roman said.

"Oh Roman," Cinder said, stroking his cheek. "That's need to know information."

Roman went silent as she looked into his eyes. This was one woman he would not mess with even with how skilled he was.

"Besides," she said, taking her hand off. "We don't need it anymore."

"Huh?"

"Have the White Fang clear out of the building and get ready. I'll send you details and coordinates of our next little escapade," she said.

"Coordinates?" Roman asked.

"We're proceeding with Phase Two," she said, glancing back at him before walking off. Emerald and Mercury followed after her.

Roman sighed, feeling the urge to smoke after that stress-inducing meeting. As he reached into his pocket for his lighter, he found nothing and looked up to see Emerald holding it. She stuck her tongue out before leaving.

_Those three will be the death of me… maybe they were right_, Roman thought as he pulled out a small locket.

Inside was a picture of Roman and three other people.

"Heh, you always were an annoying team leader, Blondie. But... maybe you and Frosty were right," he said, tracing his finger over the picture. He closed the locket and placed it on the table. Engraved on the locket was a name. A team name more specifically.

_Team ARSK_

* * *

**Hey, hey! Here's the new chapter! If you guys noticed, I changed my pen name from CrimsonPyre to Promkastel. It doesn't matter! I still answer to Crimson or Prom. I hope you all liked the Cardin vs Jaune fight. This fight was going to happen and this fight will only be the start. You really think Cardin will stop just because Jaune beat him? No, no, no. Expect more conflict in the future. If you noticed that I made my own Hunstman Ranking System. I based it off the ranking system of Goblin Slayer which goes from:**

**Brass**

**Steel**

**Chrome**

**Bronze**

**Silver**

**Gold**

**Diamond**

**If you want to know, there are only a few Diamond Class Hunters and one of them died before the series started. I hope you also all enjoyed my attempt at writing fluff between Jaune and Pyrrha. A lot of you are asking whether or not this will be a harem and my answer is... **

**Wait and see. **

**Cinder and Roman are starting to move forward. This will progress with the basic plot of Volumes 2 and 3 but from a JNPAR perspective. They won't be involved... overly, with RWBY's vigilante escapades as they have their own problems to deal with. Oh and one more thing. Feel free to take a gander at who the members of Team ARSK (Arsenic) are. **

**A- ?**

**R- Roman Torchwick**

**S- ?**

**K- ?**

**That's it. Have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours~!**

**PS: If you want to know what color Arsenic is associated with, here's its hex code: ****#3B444B**

**Also! Here! If you want to talk to me about the fic and receive a rapid response! **

**discord. gg /V54pcwA**

**Just ask for Promkastel!**


	19. Arc 3: Date Night

**I don't own RWBY. Monty Oum, Rooster Teeth, and its affiliates do.**

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

* * *

"Does this look good on me, Ren?" Jaune asked as he showed Ren another outfit. This time, Jaune wore a leather jacket with a white shirt underneath. He wore a pair of blue jeans with some rips on the pants. He also wore some rather expensive shoes that Ren swore was never in Jaune's wardrobe before.

Besides that, Ren was just happy that Jaune was trusting him with what to wear for his date with Pyrrha. It would be a nice change of pace from his match against Cardin merely a few hours back. Ren was going to make sure that Jaune would look his best for his date. They were currently in Team RWBY's room with Blake and Ruby having allowed them to use it for Jaune to try on different outfits for his date.

"Hmm, I think the last outfit looked better," Ren said, grimacing as Jaune looked at himself in the mirror. His hair had been spiked up with gel to which Ren found himself cringing every time he looked at it.

"And… don't do the hair gel. It looks… wrong on you," Ren said.

"But… I was told this was going to help me win over the girl," Jaune said.

"And who told you that?" he asked.

"... Kiiro, back at Domremy. He's one of the bar regulars and a known…," Jaune trailed off at the last word.

"Known what?" Ren asked.

"Playboy okay. He was a playboy," Jaune said.

"Thank Mikael I'm here," Ren said.

"So the last outfit and no gel?" Jaune asked.

"Yup but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do your hair. Comb it at least so it doesn't look like a bird's nest," Ren said.

* * *

"Hmmm, that looks nice. It is getting colder… and that looks really good on you," Alice said.

"You really think so?" Pyrrha asked as she looked nervously in the mirror. She wondered if Jaune would like what she wore. To be honest, she was nervous. Despite this being their second date, this was their first official date alone without the rest of their team. Their first date involved them going to the Festival of Israfil with the rest of their team and to them, that didn't technically count. Dates, traditionally, were meant to be for the couple and the couple alone. Not a group outing with the rest of their team.

"I can guarantee that those close will guarantee some midnight training later if you know what I mean," Nora said, winking.

Pyrrha turned red at the undertones of Nora's statement. Alice slapped Nora on the back of the head.

"Pyrrha's not the kind of girl to have sex on the second date," Alice said.

"What… maybe it could happen," Nora said.

"Which brings me to my next point," Alice said. "Pyrrha, I like you a lot and you're my friend but… Jaune is my brother and so, it's mandatory for me to say this."

Pyrrha nodded.

Alice leaned in, her body surrounded by golden aura as a large pressure greater than anything Pyrrha had ever felt fall on her shoulders.

"Hurt Jaune and I scatter your atoms across the planet," Alice said.

Pyrrha nodded, staring Alice fearlessly in the eyes. She wouldn't back down. She would never hurt Jaune. She would die first.

"Good and remember to have fun on your date," Alice said, smiling.

On the floor, Nora was on the ground frothing at the mouth, having passed out from the sudden increase in pressure.

* * *

Jaune waited at the airship docks, mindlessly tapping away at his scroll. He didn't feel cold at all. After all, his outfit did consist of a black and red plaid, button-up collard shirt underneath a red knitted v-neck sweater. He wore brown khakis alongside some black shoes.

He was currently reading some texts from Mae. To be honest, he missed the little fluff ball but his parents had helped her and Maria get a house within Domremy where they could live. According to her, she was having fun with the other children. No one judged her for her extra features and that people liked it. Mae spent a lot of time at the bar with Jaune's other sister, Petra.

On another note, Maria had begun Mae's training and his parents decided to pitch in whenever they weren't busy with the bar. Her semblance allowed her to create illusions that were so real, your body would be fooled into actually receiving a physical sensation of touch. With such a powerful and useful semblance, his parents had no choice but to pitch in.

"Texting another girl while you wait for your girlfriend I see."

Jaune lifted his head and glanced at Pyrrha. She smiled as she walked towards him. His breath was caught in his throat as he stared at her. She was wearing a yellow jacket that was open, revealing a black turtle neck sweater underneath. She wore brown pants with light-chocolate brown boots. Pyrrha wore no make-up on her face, allowing Jaune to see her natural beauty. Honestly, in his opinion, Pyrrha never needed to wear any sort of cosmetics. She was beautiful the way she was in his eyes.

"You caught me," Jaune said, smiling. "I've been having an affair…"

"Really? Right before our date?" Pyrrha said, returning his smile with equal fervor.

"Come on or we'll miss our ride," Jaune said, grabbing her hand. Pyrrha blushed a little at the sudden contact and allowed herself to be pulled by him towards the bullhead.

"Do you think they'll be okay on their date?" Nora asked as she sat on the ledge of the rooftop. The very same rooftop where Pyrrha and Jaune escaped to when they wanted to be alone.

"I hope so… Team RWBY is also in town if I remember correctly," Alice said, placing her hand on her chin as she placed another chip in her mouth.

"Hmm, I hope they don't run into them… from what I heard from eavesdropping, Ruby's in town with one of the students from Atlas and Yang and Blake are with those two boys from Vacuo," Ren said.

"Well, I don't know why but that sounds like a recipe for disaster," Alice said. "Why are they even there anyway?"

"Remember that time Team RWBY got involved with Roman Wichtork," Nora said.

"Torchwick," Ren corrected.

"Yeah, him… well, apparently, Blake still has some issues with his partnership with the White Fang. You think that's why they're in town?" she asked.

"I don't know but… whatever it is they're doing, it's probably not good and most likely illegal," he replied.

"You're not heaving?" Pyrrha asked, genuinely surprised at the fact that Jaune was holding it together in front of her.

"Yeah, I took some motion sickness pills before we left so I'll be fine for the ride into Vale," he said.

"And back?"

"I came prepared," he answered as he pulled out a bottle of prescription motion sickness pills. Jaune gave her a wide grin.

"At least you're prepared this time," she said.

"I don't want your memory of our first ever official date to be of me vomiting when we get off at our stop in Vale," Jaune said.

"About that… where is our first stop on this magical night that you promised me," she asked.

"Well, in anticipation of this, I reserved two seats for us at Sunset Blossom," Jaune replied.

"S- Sunset Blossom! That's one of the high-end restaurants in Vale! How did you even afford that!?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, with the paychecks I saved up from the time that I used to work at my parents' bar of course," he said. He left out the part where he got help but he could always tell her after the date of course.

"Jaune… you didn't have to go this far but thank you!" Pyrrha said. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, causing him to become giddy.

* * *

**Vale, High-End District**

* * *

Sunset Blossom was one of those restaurants. A high-end exclusive restaurant that only catered to those who had the money to even afford a meal for two and with good reason too. Sunset Blossom had two Lunar Stars allotted to it since it opened. That price was exceptionally high but Jaune with what amounted to his life savings and some help from his parents (not that Pyrrha would ever know) was able to acquire two reservations for a table inside the eatery.

Sunset Blossom was a fairly large place, larger than the standard suburban house, and contained two floors. There were large bay windows that could be seen at the front of the building on both the first and second floors. Even from the window of the taxi, the young couple could see that they were in way over their heads when they decided to come to this restaurant. Pyrrha wondered if it was one of those places that treated every day at work like it was a black-tie event. She glanced at her boyfriend, who to his credit managed to remain calm.

"That'll be 50 Lien," the driver said. Jaune nodded and forked over five 10 Lien bills. The two exited the taxi. Pyrrha hugged Jaune's left arm as the two walked into the establishment. The two walked over to the receptionist and rang the bell.

"Yes," he asked. The two immediately disliked the man. He had an air of superiority around him and looked at the young couple as if they were stains on the carpet.

"We have a reservation under Arc," Jaune said.

"Hmm," the man pressed a few buttons on his keyboard and a dinging sound was heard from his screen.

"Ah yes, Mr. and Mrs. Arc?" he asked.

"!"

"Yes!" Jaune said. Pyrrha's face turned red as she looked away from the receptionist.

"We'll be right with you," the man said, gesturing for a waiter to come over.

"Well, let's go," Jaune said smiling as the waiter came over and showed them to their table.

* * *

Blake watched in horror as Roman unveiled his latest weapon. She was currently within a warehouse, attending a White Fang recruitment. Luckily for her, her true target was there. Roman Torchwick. However, what she saw horrified her. Roman had managed to acquire one of the newest Atlas Paladins before they had even revealed them to the public. Unfortunately, her getaway was halted when Roman called for all the new recruits to step towards the stage. She needed to think of a way out of this and fast.

Next to her was another Faunus. He had spiky blonde hair and tanned skin, wearing a loose-collared white jacket. He wore no shirt underneath, displaying his muscular physique to the entire world. On his arms were two red braces. He wore blue cargo pants with a white belt, looping around it. Around his necklace was a gold necklace. Behind him was his defining Faunus trait. A prehensile monkey tail that was as golden as his hair, indicating that he was a Monkey Faunus. If Blake remembered, his name was Sun Wukong and he was one of the students who came here for the Vytal Festival.

"What do we do now?" he hissed.

"Let me think!" she whispered.

"Well, you better think fast before he spots us!" Sun said.

"Shut up!" Blake said as she glanced around the room. As her eyes darted all over the place, they momentarily locked with that of Roman's. She cursed mentally. He would probably recognize her even if she wore a mask. Her eyes would give her away and if she knew anything about this man, he remembered the people who wronged him. She had heard stories of it. Roman Torchwick had broken into a business one night for spilling coffee all over him when he ordered. By the time the owners got there, the whole establishment was in flames. Or so the rumors go in the criminal underworld.

"He sees us!" Sun said as he tried acting normally, smiling and waving at Roman.

"He can't see us if we're in the dark," Blake said. Without warning, she unsheathed Gambol Shroud and took out the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

"Through the windows!" Blake said. With the chaos happening within the warehouse, Blake and Sun managed to escape, jumping onto the rafters and bursting through the windows. The two make their escape, hearing Roman's orders to capture them as they run, hopping from rooftop to rooftop.

"So, you wouldn't happen to have any sort of backup, would you? Because that would be really great right about now!" he said.

"Give me a minute," Blake said as she pulled her scroll out. She went through her contacts, pausing at Jaune's contact before shaking her head. He was on a date with Pyrrha. A date. With Pyrrha.

_No! Now's not the time to be thinking about this!_ She thought as she scrolled directly to Ruby's contact and hit call.

* * *

"So how's your food?" Jaune asked as he ate some of his Steak Diane. So far, their date had been going great. Save for the snobby waiters and people staring at them like they didn't belong, it was great.

"It's wonderful… I still can't believe you got us a reservation," Pyrrha said, eating her lobster with gusto. She suddenly stopped, wiping her mouth and feeling embarrassed. She's been to a million upper-end functions and the one time she's not with some high-class snobs, she almost pigs out in front of her boyfriend.

"I know right. I pulled a couple of strings and called in some old favors to get us the money to get a table of two," Jaune said.

"Favors?"

"Yeah, a few guys back home owe me some favors for watching their kids, giving them more beer when I wasn't supposed to, you know… typical seedy bar stuff."

"Your parents' tavern is rather family-friendly for a seedy bar," she said.

"Well, after Saphron was born, Mom really pulled things together. No one opposed her decision," Jaune said.

"Sir, we have brought a bottle of Valean Bordeaux for you and the missus," the waiter said.

Pyrrha nearly sprayed her water all over Jaune. Valean Bordeaux was one of the most expensive wines in all of Remnant. How did he have the money to pay for this?

He winked at her and thanked the waiter, accepting the bottle.

"Are we even old enough to drink this?" she asked.

"Nope but a sip wouldn't hurt right?" he replied as he popped open the bottle and poured her a glass.

"You're right," she said. She grabbed her wine glass and raised it.

"To us," Jaune said.

"To us."

The two clinked their glasses and took a sip. Immediately, Pyrrha felt the wine burn her throat slightly due to the alcohol. She glanced across the table and saw her boyfriend doing just fine.

"How are you?"

"Fine? I've had alcohol before. Dad and the others would let me have a sip when Mom wasn't looking," he said, shrugging.

"Wow, that must be some life… I can't relate," she said.

"What was your life like before Beacon? Before… Pyrrha the Goddess of Victory came about," Jaune asked.

"Well, my life's story isn't really… something worth telling," she said.

"Come on, it can't be that bad. You know mine," Jaune said.

Pyrrha sighed. "Well…"

"_Is that all you can do girl!?" a man barked. A younger Pyrrha shakily got to her feet as she struggled to stay conscious. The man before her was muscular, extremely so with his arms possibly being half as wide as Jaune. His hair was spiky and red, much like hers. His eyes were red and cold, looking down at her with some measure of disappointment._

"_Chryses! That's enough!"_ _a woman said. She was beautiful. Her color was a lighter shade of red than Pyrrha's but the resemblance between the two could be seen. Her eyes were green like the little girl's. _

"_Don't tell me how to train my own daughter, Chloe," Chryses said, glaring at her._

"_Can't you tell she's had enough!?"_

"_As an Olympia, she's supposed to be strong. I thought that unlocking her aura would change something but it seems I was wrong. We have been the forefront faces of the hunters of Mistral and if she can't shape up then she doesn't deserve the name!"_

_Pyrrha began to cry as she heard her father speak. Chloe, hearing her daughter begin to quietly sob, hugged her, stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Chryses scoffed and walked inside._

_Later that night, Pyrrha sat on her bed, staring at the floor. Her mother had comforted her and she was thankful but maybe her father was right. Maybe she was too weak. If she got stronger, would he finally approve of her? She glanced at the table in her room. The more she thought of how her father looked at her, the more she felt she needed his approval. Suddenly, the metal leg of the table was outlined with a black glow and began to bend. The sound of the metal bending snapped Pyrrha out of her thoughts. _

_She looked at the table and the black glow disappeared._

"_Pyrrha, dear. Are you okay?"_

_The door to her room opened and her mom walked in. She noticed Pyrrha staring at her table and followed her gaze. Her mouth opened in a gasp as she noticed what happened to the leg._

"_Mommy! Look! I have a semblance!" Pyrrha said, pointing giddily at the table._

"_What's the… fuss?" her father trailed off as he walked in, just in time to hear Pyrrha declare that she had a semblance._

"_Papa! Look!" Pyrrha pointed. Her father let out a smile. But it wasn't a smile that showed pride. Not that her young mind would notice._

* * *

"After that everything changed," Pyrrha said, looking down at her plate. "My dad… began training me harder. More harshly. And I did it all… because I wanted him to love me. It wasn't until I started entering the tournaments that I finally began to see what was happening and how my dad really saw me… it was my first one. I was twelve and I made it to the finals."

* * *

_Pyrrha panted as her opponent stood across from her, winded like she was. Her opponent was an older male who went by the name of Mars. He had a large buster sword in his left hand, poised and ready to move whenever Pyrrha decided to attack._

_She closed her eyes, subtly using her semblance and threw Milo at her opponent, using her semblance to increase its speed. _

_Mars quickly ducked and avoided her spear, using the dust contained within his sword and launched a wave of elemental chaos at Pyrrha. The girl barely had time to raise her shield. She got knocked aside to the edge of the stage by the attack._

_Pyrrha coughed as she spat blood out of her mouth, staining the floor red. She shakily got to her feet, stumbling a bit. Her whole world was spinning as she walked towards her opponent, who looked worried._

"_Hey, are you okay?" he asked._

"_I'm fine!" she yelled, stumbling over her feet before finding her balance. She looked up at him with dull eyes. Sweat dripped from her forehead. She weakly raised her shield, preparing to bash his face in. For victory. She would win this tournament because she was an Olympia. Olympias were stated to be the divine family that guarded Mistral, even during the Great War._

"_I don't think you're okay. I think you have a concussion," he said._

"_I SAID I'M FINE!" Pyrrha yelled, losing control of her semblance. Mars's armor began to crinkle as the magnetic pressure began to crush it. Mars felt his armor begin to constrict his chest and grunted in pain. He looked between his armor and Pyrrha and noticed something. Her hands were glowing with a dull black light._

_He acted quickly, slamming his fist into her face. _

_Pyrrha fell to the ground, fading away. The last thing she heard before everything went black was the referee announcing Mars's victory._

* * *

"_I don't want anything to do with her!"_

"_But she's your daughter!"_

"_I didn't waste years of my life training a failure, Chloe!"_

"_This is her first tournament! Can't you go easy on her!?"_

"_I won my first tournament! So did my brother! And our dad! And our grandmother!"_

"_She's not you!"_

_Those were the words Pyrrha came to as she opened her eyes. She winced as the white lights of the hospital room hit her sensitive pupils. She allowed herself to adjust to the light as she sat up. _

"_Mom? Dad?"_

_The room went silent as the two went silent, turning to look at Pyrrha._

"_What happened?" she groaned. Her memories of that fight were fuzzy at best but returning. _

"_What happened? What happened is that you lost! Despite the time and effort I put into you, you still messed it all up!" Chryses said, fuming._

_Pyrrha went silent as she looked down at her blanket._

"_I- I'm sorry," she said._

"_Sorry won't cut it! Your cousins are far more advanced than you are and they're younger than you! What is wrong with you!?" he yelled. Pyrrha flinched as her father kept yelling at her. She just wanted it to stop. She tried. She tried really hard to win. Didn't her father see that? Why couldn't he be proud of her for trying? _

"_Why?" she whispered._

_Chryses stopped when he saw her lips move._

"_Huh?"_

"_WHY!?" she screamed, sending a magnetic wave across the room. Chryses slid back, the metal on his clothing having been affected by Pyrrha's outburst. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TREAT ME LIKE A NORMAL KID!? I'M YOUR DAUGHTER FOR JIBRIL'S SAKE!"_

"_Watch your tone around me, Pyrrha Athena Olympia," Chryses growled._

"_NO! I'M DONE! I'M DONE BEING TREATED LIKE THIS!" she screamed._

"_Really? Then, get out. Get out of my house," Chryses said._

"_What!?" Chloe screamed. Pyrrha looked at her father in shock as tears streamed down her face. Her father had just disowned her. For losing. She gritted her teeth and glared._

"_FINE! I DON'T NEED YOU ANYWAY! SCREW YOU AND THE REST OF YOUR FAMILY!" she screamed._

"_I want you out of my house when you get out of this hospital," Chryses said. He turned to his wife._

"_Chloe, let's go," he said._

_She didn't move. Chloe stood there and glared defiantly at her husband. "No."_

"_What did you say to me, woman?" he growled._

"_I said no. I'm not living with the bastard that has the gall to throw my twelve-year-old daughter out on the streets for losing her first tournament," she said._

"_So what? You're siding with her?" he asked._

"_Yes," she said._

"_Fine… then leave with her too," he said._

"_I will," Chloe said, grinning. He huffed and left the room, leaving Chloe and a sobbing Pyrrha. She quickly hugged her daughter and comforted her._

"_Shhh, shh, it's okay," she said._

"_Why is daddy never proud of me, Mommy?" Pyrrha asked, in between sobs._

"_I don't know… your father," she spat out, "wasn't the man I thought he was when I married him. He's more married to the family line that he is to his wife…"_

"_I don't want to be an Olympia anymore, Mom," she said._

"_Good, because by the end of this, you'll be a Nikos," she said._

* * *

"Your dad's an asshole," Jaune said.

"That man isn't my father," Pyrrha said, stabbing her cake with her fork.

"So what happened after?"

"Believe it or not, I started training again. I don't know what drew me back. When I fought on the floor, yeah, I thought about making that man proud but… another part of me loved the fights. The heart-pumping decisions. The adrenaline-fueled rushes. It was… exhilarating," she said.

"So Chryses Olympia huh?"

"You've heard of that man?"

"Yeah, Mom said that she and her partner ran into him during their Vytal Festival. Mom defeated him during one of the matches," Jaune said.

"Serves him right," Pyrrha said.

"To be honest, Pyrrha Olympia never seemed to fit you," Jaune said.

"Huh?" she looked at him with a strange gaze.

"Nikos fits you better. I'm glad you left that man and your life in that family. You and your mom are better off without them," he said.

"It was touch and go for a while after that. We barely had any money and mom worked two dead-end jobs just to keep us afloat so… I decided to enter the tournaments again for the cash prize at the end," she said.

"So the Invincible Girl was actually in it for the money?"

"I liked the fights too, remember?"

"So a money-loving battle maniac is my girlfriend. I couldn't ask for anyone better," he said.

"Goes well with my forge-master, back from the dead boyfriend doesn't it?" she retorted. The two started laughing.

"Are you done?" Jaune asked, looking at her now empty plate.

"Yeah, should we get the check?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, let's head back before the curfew starts. I don't know how I'll butter up to Goodwitch this time," Jaune said.

"You can offer to clean her office like last time," his girlfriend suggested.

"Yeah, no, there is some weird stuff in her office. Stuff that would make you think twice about what Professor Goodwitch is really like outside of the school hours," he replied.

He beckoned for a waiter and asked for the check. The waiter placed the receipt down. Upon seeing the price, Jaune grimaced and pulled out all the money in his wallet and placed it down. That money included a 10% gratuity to the waiter.

With the check paid, Jaune and Pyrrha walked arm in arm out of the Sunset Blossom and into the Valean Night.

"Should we hail a ca- eh!?" Pyrrha yelped as Jaune dragged her down the street.

"Come on. Let's enjoy the night for a little!" he said as the two walked down the busy street of nighttime Vale. The nightlife of the city was bustling with people as they walked in and out of various establishments. Restaurants. Malls. Clubs even. Cars drove down the street as they came in from the highway.

"Wow, I never knew Vale was like this at night," Pyrrha said, taking in the scene.

"Me neither," he said. Pyrrha smiled as she hugged his arm. Jaune blushed as he felt his arm being trapped in between Pyrrha's chest.

"So where should we go now?"

"There's this fountain that Vert told me about. She told me that the spot is great for dates," Jaune said as they walked down the street.

"Fountain?"

"Yeah, it's down Lawrence Street in the Emerald Plaza," Jaune said.

The two walked for a couple of minutes. The young couple gasped as they turned the corner of Lawrence Street. Emerald Plaza lived up to its name. The plants contributed to a majority of the green for which the plaza got its name. At the center, the fountain stood proudly. The fountain was rather elegant and archaic in design. The fountain consisted of three basins. The main basin at the bottom along with two basins that were built around the fountain pipe itself. The basins were decorated with images of the King of Vale being guided and protected by Cherubic Figures, most likely being sent by the God of Light, Mikael. A small statue of the same woman at Beacon Academy stood at the center of the topmost fountain. A large spire-like design stood behind her, spewing water.

"It's beautiful," Pyrrha said, admiring the architecture.

"That woman is one of the people at the Beacon Statue," Jaune said.

"Do you know the story behind her?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, a bit," he said.

"Do you believe it?"

"That she was a Ruler? No, Rulers are myths like the Maidens," Jaune said.

As Pyrrha was about to speak, a large explosion interrupted her. The two looked towards the sound of the explosion and saw a large Paladin on the highway. Several white glyphs manifested around the Paladin and fired shards of ice at it.

"Is that?" Pyrrha asked

"Freezerburn!"

"Yeah that's them," Jaune said, deadpanning as a large cloud of mist appeared on the freeway.

"Should we help them?"

"How long will it take for our lockers to get here?"

Pyrrha looked down at her scroll, having called hers and Jaune's locker over.

"About… ten minutes" Pyrrha said.

Jaune looked at his watch, and waited for thirty seconds to pass as explosions and Ruby's yelling echoed in the background. The lockers landed in front of them, cracking the cement. Jaune and Pyrrha walked forward, grabbing their weapons.

"Let's go," Jaune said.

Pyrrha nodded as the two took off running.

* * *

"BUMBLEBEE!" Ruby yelled as she fired more dust rounds at the Paladin. Blake sent Gambol Shroud towards a flying Yang, who was batted aside by Roman and used her momentum to swing her towards the Paladin for one final blow.

Roman, in the nick of time, managed to sidestep the flaming Yang, avoiding his defeat and the destruction of his new weapon. Seriously, when were these kids ever going to learn?

_These brats got lucky the first time since Atlas was there but now…_, Roman thought as he trained his weapons on Yang. Ruby clenched her jaw as she saw Yang on the ground with Roman above her, prepared to deliver the finishing blow. As she was about to rush in to save her sister, a certain voice made her freeze.

"Hey Pyrrha, let's test out that new and improved Arkos."

Team RWBY, minus Yang, turned around to see Jaune and Pyrrha running towards them. Jaune drew Sol and Luna from his waist. He tossed Luna over to Pyrrha. Jaune launched himself using his aura wings and flew towards Roman.

Roman's sensors went off as he turned around to see Jaune slice into the Paladin's visor, effectively cutting off his vision.

The Arc landed on the ground behind Roman.

"NOW!" he yelled. Pyrrha smirked as she clicked the button on Jaune's scythe. The head of the weapon glowed violet as she allowed herself to be pulled towards Jaune's Sol.

As Sol and Luna flew towards each other, the two clicked the button, activating the vibroblade function. They both swung their blades at once, flying past one another and landed on the ground.

The Paladin creaked as Roman stumbled back.

"What? Structural integrity around the leg is compromised?" Roman growled.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled, tossing him his scythe.

"It worked," he said.

"It was our first time doing it too," she said.

"Let's finish this," Jaune said as he channeled aura into his blades.

"Good thing this is made of metal," Pyrrha said as her hands began to glow.

Roman moved the Paladin towards the two and raised its foot. Pyrrha reacted immediately, raising her hands. The Paladin froze, groaning as it strained against the magnetic force that Pyrrha imposed on it. Jaune launched himself into the air and sent a barrage of aura fists at the Paladin, knocking it over.

"We could use some help here," Pyrrha said as she pinned the Paladin to the ground.

Ruby snapped out of her daze. She glanced at Weiss, who nodded.

"ICE FLOWER!"

Ruby and Weiss pointed Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster at the downed Roman. Weiss creates a series of glyphs in front of Crescent Rose's barrel. Ruby fired the weapon as Weiss froze all of her shots. Large icicles flew towards the Paladin repeatedly,

The combined shots eventually enveloped the entire thing in ice, allowing Pyrrha to release her hold. Jaune, seeing that it was down, jumped into the air and merged Sol and Luna into Eclipse, activating Thaumiel around the weapon. A black-violet surge of energy surrounded Eclipse as Jaune dived towards Roman. The mech exploded into several parts and pieces as Roman flew out of the pilot's seat just in time, landing on the road across from them.

"Wow, do you know how much money that cost?" Roman asked, dusting himself off. His green eyes looked out across the entire group before settling on Jaune. Yang, still having enough energy, fires a shot off at Roman.

Time slows down as the shot grows nearer and nearer but before it could hit, a girl drops in front of it and opens a parasol, deflecting the blast. The girl hung the parasol over her and Roman. The best way to describe this petite girl was that she was two-toned. The left half of her hair was pink whilst the other was brown. She wore a broad, cropped wide white jacket with a pink interior. Underneath her jacket was a brown corset. She wore brown pants as well as black and white, spat styled under the knee boots.

"Well, well, well, Neo. Nice timing as always," Roman said, grinning. "Look at this, the whole gang's here. The girls, Miss Champion, Blondie 2.0, and Ice Queen."

"Hey!" Weiss said in a slightly offended tone.

"Well, I guess this is our exit," Roman said. "Neo."

Neo nodded.

"I won't let them get away," Yang said as she dashed towards them, her fist cocked back. Yang threw a haymaker, shattering Roman and Neo like a mirror.

"An illusion?" Pyrrha said.

The sound of a bullhead passing overhead confirmed her suspicion as the rest of the group looked up to see Roman waving them goodbye from the cockpit.

"Looks like he got a new henchman," Yang said, sighing.

"Yang are you alright?" Ruby asked, running over.

Jaune and Pyrrha watched as Team RWBY regrouped. He sighed and took Weiss's attempt at a pun as their cue to leave. He turned around, signaling to Pyrrha that they should get back. She smiled and followed after him, leaving Team RWBY to bask in their victory.

"That was a fun night right?" Jaune asked.

"It was fun before the Atlesian Paladin piloted by Vale's best burglar showed up with Team RWBY," Pyrrha said. "But I hope we can do this again."

She kissed his cheek as the two held hands, walking back down to the main street and hailing a cab.

* * *

Roman sat quietly as he flew the Bullhead. Neo had fallen asleep in the copilot's chair, leaving him to his thoughts. His mind raced back to seeing Jaune. The mere memory of it stirred old memories inside his head. Memories of the past when everything was peaches and cream. Just the mere image of him made Roman smile.

"So Blondie and Ziggy finally had a son huh?" Roman said absentmindedly. "I hope that we meet again, Little Blondie."

* * *

**Alright, so you guys are getting antsy so I might as well say it. This is an Arkos fic through and through. I'll say it now to confirm it so people will stop worrying. Anyway, Pyrrha has some baggage that you never expected huh? And Nikos isn't her original name either! Since she does have a Greek Motif, I decided to keep going with it. Olympia is her Father's last name and her former last name before she started using her mother's maiden name of Nikos. I figured it was a nice switch up from the "Abusive Arc Parent Trope". If you're wondering, her father's name, Chryses, is based on a Greek Figure from the Trojan War named Chryses of Troy. His name means... Golden! **

**And like mother, like daughter, Pyrrha's mother Chloe is named with her eyes in mind since Chloe was a name associated with the color Green. If you guys also noticed, Pyrrha's middle name is Athena. I'm trying to pull a Zeus-Metis thing with her parents except, Pyrrha's mom is alive and not... eaten by Pyrrha's dad.**

**And to reveal members of Team ARSK!**

**A- Jeanne Arc**

**R- Roman Torchwick**

**S- ?**

**K- Sigurd Kasimir**

**That's it for now. I hope you guys liked the chapter. Please leave a review. It really helps me see what you guys think of the story! Remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours~!**

**PS: Also for you little color checkers, Sigurd is associated with Gold due to his myth of him slaying the Gold Hoarding Dragon, Fafnir. And yes, he took the name Arc upon getting married.**


	20. Arc 3: The Past Catches Up

**I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

* * *

Pyrrha sighed as she walked down the halls of Beacon's dormitory. A towel was wrapped around her head since she had to borrow Team RWBY's shower. Their shower was currently undergoing repairs since Nora decided it would be a good idea to rework the pipes to spray syrup. Instead, the sugar-filled tree residue clogged up the shower and they were left asking Team RWBY if they could share.

She fiddled around in the pocket of her sweatpants for her scroll, pulling the paper-thin device out and placing it against the door. The door unlocked and she slowly opened it when she heard something that caught her ear.

"Come on! Jaune, do you really think you can pull off something that big?" Ren asked as he looked over his friend's shoulder. Jaune's laptop screen was filled with websites from various shops.

"Not to mention the fact that you're going to spend all the money Mom and Dad just sent you," Alice commented.

"Come on guys! Don't think of the cost! It's the thought that counts and if Jaune thinks that blowing his entire month's savings on something that's completely out of his league," Nora said.

"Come on, this isn't out of my league! And besides, she deserves the best," he said.

"He's swooning again. You know brother, there's a word for people like you. Simp," Alice said.

"Look, I'm not a simp! I'm just getting her something to give to when prom comes around and… I need to make this special. I need to show her how I actually feel," Jaune replied.

"Come on Jaune. We all know how you feel about her," Ren said.

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed a little. Even Ren, Nora, and Alice were in on this. She quickly opened the door, causing the four to jump in surprise. Jaune quickly closed all of his tabs and closed his laptop.

"H- Hey Pyr! Have a nice shower?" Jaune asked, nervously.

"Yeah, what are you guys doing?" she asked.

"Just seeing the new trailer for Redland right!" Alice said.

"Y- Yeah! It's a movie about…," Jaune trailed off.

"A movie about a pair of scientists that's trying to stop a dust comet from impacting Remnant and ending all life," Ren said.

"Isn't that Deep Space Impa- mmph!" Jaune slapped his hand over Nora's mouth.

"Okay? Well, I'm going to go get changed for class so can the guys… leave?" Pyrrha asked. She had been the last one to shower and thus was the last to get dressed. Jaune and Ren nodded and left the room. Pyrrha glanced at her other two teammates whose eyes were moving all across the room. Anywhere so they wouldn't have to lock eyes with Pyrrha.

* * *

**Goodwitch's Classroom**

* * *

The fight of the day was the entirety of Team CRDL vs Pyrrha. Just Pyrrha. Of course, to call it a fight would've been the same as calling a kitten a sabyr. In short, the fight was a joke. Pyrrha's anger towards Team CRDL was very much still there and as healthy as a grudge could be. She wasted no time in utterly humiliating them and beating them into the ground. But there was one thing that irked Jaune and it was the very fact that Cardin was still here.

"I can't believe that Cardin is still here," Jaune said.

"Cardin's family is very well known. They're a famous weapons manufacturing company here in Vale called-," Blake was cut off as Ruby interrupted her.

"Winchester Arms. In terms of capacity, you can think of them as Vale's version of the Schnee. Not only was Cardin's family heavily involved in the Great War, but they are also involved in arming hunters and providing them with ammunition and the tools needed to repair and maintain their weapons. Due to this, they have an immense amount of political clout that not even Professor Ozpin can ignore despite the fact that the Valean Government and Beacon have a non-interference agreement. Cardin and his family are the reason the entire student body still remains armed," Ruby said.

"Yeah, basically what Ruby said. Due to Cardin's family providing the students with the things needed to maintain their weapons and ammo, Ozpin has no choice but to be lenient with Cardin. Not to mention that Beacon is funded by the private sector of Vale of which the Winchester Weapons Company is part of," Weiss said.

"So basically, Cardin is an untouchable douche," Alice said.

"Not necessarily. This could be the very last time he could pull this off and from what I can tell, they're only stepping in to save face. If this were to happen one more time, Cardin would be disowned by his family and expelled from Beacon," Weiss said.

"Alright, alright settle down," Glynda said, drawing in their attention. "I know that was a tough act to follow but I believe… that we have time for one more match. So, do we have any volunteers?"

She pushed her glasses up as her emerald eyes scanned the crowd. After that fiasco, no one dared step into the ring while Pyrrha Nikos still occupied it for fear that Goodwitch would hit the start button.

"No one… hmm, Miss Belladonna," Glynda said, catching Blake whispering with Jaune, Alice, Ruby, and Weiss.

Blake perked up and glanced over at her professor. She gulped when she saw Glynda's gaze.

"You've been rather docile for the past few class sessions. I believe that we should see if your skills have gotten rusty. Why don't you-"

"I'll do it," a voice said.

Glynda glanced over to her right to see a silver-haired boy raising his hand. She adjusted her glasses to get a better view of the boy.

"If I remember correctly, your name is Mercury correct? You're one of the transfers. Very well, let's find you an opponent," Glynda said.

"Actually, I want to fight… her," Mercury said, pointing at Pyrrha.

The redhead took a step back in surprise. She pointed at herself, while looking at the silver-haired student.

"Me?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible Mister Black. Miss Nikos has just finished her match so she will be off the board so to speak. I recommend you choose another partner," Glynda said.

"No, no!" Pyrrha protested. "It's fine really! I'll be happy to oblige."

"Pyrrha has no shortage of challengers does she?" Alice said.

"Hey, we know that guy," Ruby said.

"You do?"

"Yeah, he's friends with the girl sitting behind us," Ruby said. The group turned to see a girl with green hair and red eyes smiling at them.

"Hi, Emerald!" Ruby said.

"They're from Haven, right? Maybe he wanted to fight Pyrrha because they're both from Sanctum?" Nora suggested.

"Yeah, probably," Jaune muttered as he watched Mercury enter the ring.

Pyrrha eyed her opponent as he walked over and stood across from her. She raised her shield and dropped into a stance, Milo poised and ready to strike.

Mercury dropped into a kickboxing stance as he silently eyed Pyrrha. He darted towards her. He swung his leg, attempting to land a kick on her head.

Pyrrha raised Akuou, blocking Mercury's kick and knocked him off his feet using Milo. Mercury quickly caught himself with his hand, performing a spin and flipping back a few times to gain some distance from her.

Pyrrha smiled, feeling the adrenaline rush through her body. It had been so long since she had been able to feel this. She could tell this was going to be a match that she would enjoy. No fight in Goodwitch's class would ever come close to this. She rushed Mercury, swinging Milo.

The silver-haired boy deflected the blade with his boot, knocking it to the side. Pyrrha brought her shield up to block Mercury's follow up. Mercury bit his lip as he performed a series of kicks to try and force Pyrrha back but the champion parried each kick before performing a shield bash that sent him skidding back a few feet.

"Wow, he's doing really well all things considered," Ren said.

"She seems to be enjoying herself. I've never seen Pyrrha smile like that in Goodwitch's class before," Alice said.

"I've seen that smile whenever she tells me old stories of her fights back in Mistral. That's the smile of someone who's enjoying every sensation of the fight," Jaune said as he watched Pyrrha and Mercury continue their deadly dance.

"The sound of Milo clashing with Mercury's boots. The sensation of each blow reverberating through her entire arm as she parried a blow. The rush she feels whenever she dodges an attack by a hair's length. It's the rush that drew Pyrrha back in after… after the incident with her father," Jaune said.

"Well that and the money," Alice said. "I doubt Pyrrha would've gotten into Sanctum with just her mom alone. The royalties she received… she must have given to her mom."

Pyrrha's history was no longer something that was unknown amongst their team. At Jaune's urging, the girl had folded and told her friends a few days after their date. Much to her surprise and some expectation, her friends had accepted her with Nora releasing a stream of curses at her former… no, that man would never be Pyrrha's father.

The sound of Milo striking the floor of the arena brought them back to reality.

Pyrrha momentarily glanced at her beloved weapon. She turned her focus back to Mercury who smiled at her. He rushed forward, performing a roundhouse kick. Pyrrha moved back, subtly activating her Polarity to divert Mercury's leg by a few inches. The adjusted trajectory caused Mercury to falter and spin out of control, stumbling a few steps.

Seeing her chance, she rushed towards Milo, picking it up and slammed her shield into Mercury. At the last second, the Haven student managed to use her shield as a launch-pad and was shot back several feet before sliding to a halt.

"Hmmm. Something's… off," Jaune muttered. Mercury, while he was a phenomenal fighter, seemed to not be taking the fight seriously. He could see that Pyrrha could tell as well at this point. All of her strikes were meant to make him fight seriously but the man didn't seem to have his heart into it or rather…

_He's restraining himself_, he thought.

"You have that scary look on your face. The one you have before you board wipe us in Remnant The Game," Alice said.

"Huh? Oh… just thinking about the fight," Jaune said.

"Looks like he forfeited," Nora said. "BOO!"

"Nora no. That's quite rude," Jaune said.

"Alright, class! That is all for today. Please remember to enjoy yourselves at the dance this weekend and remember, starting on Monday, you will have your first _official_ team missions assigned to you by the school. This will be counted as a part of your grade for all your classes. For my class, the mission is at least 25% of your grade so I advise showing up as this is a team effort to pass or fail," Glynda said.

Pyrrha walked back up the stairs to her team who congratulated her on her winning streak. She smiled and waved them off, saying that it was nothing. As she talked, she felt someone purposely slam into her, knocking her off her feet.

"Woah," Jaune said, catching her waist. She blushed before remembering what happened. As she went to go yell at the offender, the words died in her mouth when she saw them.

The girl glanced back at her, her silvery-gray eyes looking straight through her. She brushed her auburn hair out of the way and smirked, before turning around and walking out of the room.

"What a jerk. She didn't even apologize," Nora said.

"Pyrrha. Are you alright?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha remained silent, staring at the door.

"Pyrrha!"

"Huh?" she turned to see Jaune's worried face.

"Who was that?" Jaune asked.

"My… stepsister," Pyrrha said.

"Stepsister?" Alice asked. "The timing is off. She should be far younger than you if she is your stepsister."

"No. After Dad divorced Mom and kicked us out, he revealed that he'd been cheating on her for several years and fathered… a lot of illegitimate children. She's one of them and last I heard, the Olympia Family is making the children of Chyrses Olympia fight for the position of the family head," Pyrrha said.

"So who was she?" Ren asked.

"Diana Olympia. She's about a few months younger than I am. I need time to cool off. I'll meet you guys back at the dorm," she answered. With that, Pyrrha left them standing in Goodwitch's empty classroom.

"So what do we do now?" Nora asked.

"Let's let her calm down like she asked. Let's head back to the dorm. I still need to look for the perfect gift to go along with my asking," Jaune said as they began to walk out.

"You know she'll say yes right? You don't need to pull off something so big," Nora said.

"Well…," Jaune began to scratch the back of his head.

"Jaune. Trust me. Sometimes, less is more. A simple bouquet of flowers will be enough when you pop the big question," Ren said.

"That sounds extremely wrong without context," Alice said as they turned down the hall.

* * *

The head of a training drone flew into the wall, sending spider web cracks racing across the concrete. Pyrrha panted as she stood in the middle of a sea of metal carcasses. She clenched her jaw. That look in her eyes. She was up to something. Wasn't it enough that she made her life a semi-hell back at Sanctum? Was it not enough to be reminded every day of your living situation? And now she had to deal with her and a secret from Jaune?

"I… fucking hate you!" Pyrrha roared. Her semblance ran amok, crushing all the drones around her. Electricity arced off her body momentarily. She looked down at her hands. Electricity? Last time she checked, her semblance dealt with magnetism, not electricity. She made a mental note to find out later.

"Hmph. You're so unsightly, even now," a voice from behind said.

Pyrrha whirled around to see her step-sister leaning against the doorframe. Diana Olympia was a rather tall girl. At least, she was compared to others. In terms of height, she was slightly taller than Yang. Her auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders to her mid-back. She wore a silver tiara on her head which complimented her black and silver outfit which consisted of a black vest with a grey sweater and black pants. She also wore black combat boots. At her side were two sheathed daggers and a bow rested comfortably on her back.

"And you're still the magnanimous person you were back at Sanctum," Pyrrha replied sarcastically.

"Hmm. Is that any way to treat your dear old sister?" Diana asked.

"We're not sisters and we never will be," Pyrrha said.

"Fine. Fine. By the way, do they know?" she asked.

"If you're referring to my horrible extended family, then yes, they know," she retorted.

Diana bristled at this before composing herself.

"I heard that your boyfriend is a member of the famed Arc family. I wonder how someone like you ever got a hold of someone like him. You better watch out or else you'll lose your grip on him," Diana said.

"Don't you touch him!" Pyrrha yelled. She pointed Milo at her sister.

Diana smiled and placed her hands up in mock surrender.

"Oh what makes you think I will? I didn't come here alone. Apollo, Ares, and Venus are here too. And Venus, well, she's been ogling every guy at Beacon since she got here and you know she doesn't distinguish between those who are taken and those who are single," Diana said.

"You're sick. You and your entire family," Pyrrha said.

"Just giving you a heads up! Ta ta!" Diana said, walking out the door.

Pyrrha stood there, her fists clenched and her green eyes staring at the retreating figure of her half-sister with nothing but utter hatred in her eyes. She growled and punched the wall of the training room, cracking the wall.

* * *

Pyrrha swung the door open to the team dorm, startling everyone inside. She walked over to Jaune and grabbed his arm, dragging him out the door. The others glanced at each other and ran after them.

"Pyrrha! Pyrrha! Where the hell are you taking Jaune!?" Alice asked.

"To spar," she replied bluntly.

"You're crazy if you think I'll let you spar with my brother while you're like that," Alice said, keeping pace with them.

Pyrrha ignored the Arc sister as she continued down the hall with Jaune. Alice glared at her teammate before activating her semblance. A wall of golden energy appeared in front of Pyrrha, halting her advance. The champion turned around, her green eyes gazing into Alice's blue ones.

"I'm going to ask this just once. Let us pass," Pyrrha said.

"No. Not in your state of mind. Forgive me but I'm just looking out for my brother's safety," Alice said.

"Pyrrha, you need to calm down. You can seriously injure Jaune if you spar with him now," Ren said.

"I said put the barrier down," she growled.

"Guys," Jaune said. "I'll be fine."

"But-!"

"Trust me. Alice, remove the barrier. Ren, Nora, make sure my sister doesn't follow us," he said.

"What!? What if you get hurt!?" she yelled.

"I swear I'll be fine. Trust me on this please," he said.

Alice bit her lip as she looked at her brother and then to Pyrrha, who still held the same bitter expression. It was far different from the expression she saw on the redhead's face during her brother's death. No, this one was far more poisonous rather than melancholic. However, she trusted Jaune. If he could calm her down, then she'll leave Pyrrha in his hands.

"Fine," Alice replied, allowing the golden wall to disperse.

Pyrrha gave her a nod of appreciation and left with Jaune.

"He's going to be okay right?" Alice asked.

"This is Jaune and Pyrrha we're talking about. They'll be fine," Ren said.

"You mean you hope they'll be fine," Nora said.

* * *

"Hey, Pyrrha! At least let me get my weapon!" Jaune said as she pushed him through the door. He recognized this place. The rooftop where he confessed to her about his transcripts and the place where the two sparred.

"Make some. Your semblance allows you to create constructs from your aura. Just make some," Pyrrha said as she dropped down into a stance.

Seeing that there was no getting through to her, Jaune used his semblance to cover his hands in violet energy. He got into a stance that was similar to a boxer's and waited for Pyrrha to move.

Barely able to perceive her movement, Jaune jumped back as Pyrrha swung Milo dangerously close to his chest. His eyes widened when her shield came rushing at his face. He brought his arms up in a crossguard as he was sent sliding back.

"What the hell?" Jaune muttered, looking at her. This wasn't normal. Even in their spars, Pyrrha never went at him with the intent that was this… malicious. It was like she wanted to break his nose with that blow. Even with his aura coating his arms, he could still feel the dull ache from blocking a blow from her.

"Don't just stand there! Fight back!" Pyrrha yelled as she rushed him again. She swung Milo at his neck, causing his eyes to go wide. Jaune's eyes shifted color as he ducked underneath the swing.

Several arms made of pure energy slammed into Pyrrha's gut, causing her to gasp in pain. She slid back several feet before falling to one knee. Jaune got up and looked at her, analyzing her body language.

From what he could tell, Pyrrha was obviously tired and her emotions were running wild. The fact that she came at him with rage would be an obvious factor to why she was tiring so easily. She was using too much energy to overpower him, forgetting that he was fairly familiar with her fighting style.

"Pyrrha, stop what's going on?" Jaune asked.

"What makes you think that something is going on?" she replied. "I don't have to tell you anything…"

"Pyrrha, is this about your family?"

"..."

"Pyrrha, you know that we're here for you right?"

"...," she dropped her weapons and fell to her knees. Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at the floor. Jaune walked over to her, sitting down and pulling her in.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be okay," he cooed, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"No! It's not going to be okay! It's going to be like in Sanctum! They're going to slowly take everyone away from me! My friends! You… They're going to take you from me too just like they took all my friends," she said.

"What? No one's going to take anyone. What are you talking about?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha wiped her eyes and looked out into the distance.

"My… siblings. Back at Sanctum, they figured out that I was Chyrses' daughter. His… legitimate daughter from his marriage with my mother while they were all born out of wedlock. My… father took them all in at the insistence of my grandparents and that man assumed the headship of the clan," she said.

"Yeah, you told us this. That bastard Chyrses made his kids fight for the title of heir," he said.

"Yes and because of that, they targeted me…," Pyrrha replied.

"Targeted you? But… you have no claim to that position anymore," Jaune said.

"I don't but… the others thought that… since I was his daughter, I would be able to walk back into the family and claim headship anytime I wanted. The Olympia Family's Laws are that the eldest child, no matter the gender, would be the sole heir and since I was Chyrses' eldest _legitimate_ child, I was the sole heir to the Olympia Family before I was disowned," Pyrrha said.

"So, let me get this straight. Since you are technically his eldest, the others are worried that you'll come back in and ruin their little fight for the throne?" Jaune asked.

"Basically. And since I existed and they couldn't kill me because of my celebrity status, they made my life miserable. It started out small then the rumors started… then the people who I managed to befriend started to leave me so you can imagine how that contributed to how alone I felt," Pyrrha said. "The combination of being on a pedestal and then being able to find people that saw you as a human being stolen from you in front of your very eyes…"

"Wow, I didn't know," he said.

"It's okay. It's not your fault…," she said.

"But Pyr, you're going about this all wrong," he said.

"Huh?"

"You're doing the same thing I did when the whole school went after me after my transcripts were revealed."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, tilting her head.

"You're going at this alone when… you're not," Jaune said. "You have me, Alice, Nora, Ren and… I hate to say this since I'm not on good terms with them, but Team RWBY. They'll stand up for you."

"But what… what if they-!"

"Shh," Jaune placed his finger on her lip to silence her. "We're not going to leave you ever. I'm not going to leave you… not again."

Pyrrha smiled sadly at him.

"Please don't make promises you can't keep," she said.

"I swear it. I'll always try my hardest to come back to you so buckle up because you're stuck with me forever. You're stuck with all of us forever," he said.

"Jaune," Pyrrha placed her hand over her mouth as she began to cry out of happiness.

"You're not alone anymore," he said.

"Jaune…," she said, smiling happily. For the first time in her life, she felt that she had someone on her side. For the first time in her life, she felt that she could rely on other people other than her mother and Jaune. Ren. Nora. Alice. They were all people she could count to have her back. How could she have been so blind as to not see that?

"Hey Pyrrha, I know this isn't the right time for this but…," he said.

"Yes," she said.

"But, you don't even know what I was going to ask," Jaune said, looking down at her.

"I already know what you were going to ask," Pyrrha said, smiling beautifully at him. "And you know I'll say yes. I'll be your date to the dance."

"It'd be weird if you weren't," he said.

"That reminds me… what was up with you guys this morning? It sounded like you were all trying to buy something expensive for a girl," she said.

"Oh, you heard that. I was trying to get you a big present to ask you to the dance. You know how… kind of like how I did those massive gestures with Weiss," he said, scratching his cheek. "Looking back, I felt like that would've been less compared to this. A nice sunset, we just shared our feelings, and I ask you to the dance."

Pyrrha giggled at his words. She looked out as the sun setting over the horizon and smiled. She would protect this new life. She would fight to the last drop of her blood and aura just to keep this. There were people who cared for her now. People other than her mother and she would be damned if she would let her so-called siblings take this life from her like they did her life at Sanctum.

_And I won't have to fight this alone. My team… they'll be with me every step of the way_, she thought as she closed her eyes.

* * *

Cinder sat on the bed of the dorm that was provided to them by Beacon. Infiltrating the Academy had been far easier than she had anticipated. A few transcripts from Roman here and a couple of uniforms from Haven there and they were in. She was prepared for every security check only to be disappointed by the rather lax system. If she had to guess, this was most likely how that Arc boy had gotten into the school. Perhaps that old fool had finally gone senile after all these years. She sat on the bed, listening to Emerald rattle off the names of Beacon students while Mercury laid on the floor with a comic book in hand.

"And finally, we have Pyrrha Nikos," Emerald said, reading off the scroll.

Cinder adjusted her position on the bed, her yellow eyes lighting up after she heard the name.

"Ahh, yes, the Invincible Girl," Cinder said, placing her hand on her chin.

"Well, she's smart but… I wouldn't call her 'invincible' to be exact," Mercury said, placing the comic down.

"Hmmm? That's news. Please. Do tell," Cinder said, feeling a smile come onto her face.

"Her semblance. It's polarity but you could never tell just by looking at it," Emerald answered.

"After she made contact with my boots, she was able to move them around however she wanted but the thing is, she only adjusted it slightly but it was enough to throw me off-balance," Mercury added.

"By doing so, she looks like she's untouchable when in reality, she doesn't really show off her abilities thus putting her foes at a disadvantage," Emerald said.

"I see. So people think she's destined to win but in reality, she's taken destiny into her own hands. Add her," Cinder said.

"There's two more… that I feel we should add," Emerald said.

"Two?" Cinder asked.

"Well, so far our list is full up with all the most promising students including Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose, and Pyrrha Nikos but these two should be on here if not because of how… strange they are," Emerald said.

"Who exactly?" she asked.

"Jaune and Alice Arc," Emerald said.

"And what makes them worthy of being on our list?" Mercury asked.

"Their semblances. They call it Keter and Thaumiel after some old religious concepts from the Church of the Two Brothers," she said.

"And why do their semblances make them list-worthy?" Cinder asked.

"It's… well, it's hard to put into words exactly but from what I've heard from the students and what I observed during that fight between the male Arc twin and the Winchester Heir, it felt almost like…," Emerald said.

"Almost like what?" Cinder asked.

"It looked and felt almost like your power," she said.

"What?" her eyes widened.

"I said almost but I'm not so sure," Emerald replied.

"Add them to the list," Cinder said. She got off the bed and bit her finger.

"So what now? You know you can defeat these idiots easily," Mercury said.

"It's not about overpowering your foes. It's about taking away what power they have… and we'll get to that soon," she said.

"I hate waiting," Mercury said, placing his hand behind his head.

"Don't fret Mercury. We have… a weekend filled with fun activities," Cinder said. However, deep down, a different train of thought ran through Cinder's head.

_Powers like mine? That's absurd. The only beings in this world with that kind of power are… the Maidens_, she thought. _Is it possible that… no but it would be best to keep an eye on them for now. Jaune and Alice Arc huh?_

* * *

Jaune stood behind the bar counter, cleaning some glasses while Pyrrha chopped some onions to place into the pan. The Fleur De Lis became rather busy after he and Pyrrha inherited everything from his parents. It had been two years since they graduated from Beacon. Nora and Ren had gone back to their old village while Alice went to travel the world. He and Pyrrha… well, they traveled for a while. A year to be exact to the most remote locations in Remnant before deciding to settle down in Domremy. He still couldn't believe that she had said yes. The two had gotten married not even three months ago and Pyrrha was currently two months pregnant.

"I'll have one ice on the rocks please," a voice said.

"Coming right… up," Jaune dropped the glass when he saw who it was sitting at the counter.

"Sabyr got your tongue?" she asked.

"Isla… no, Lady Israfil," he said. He looked around and noticed that no one could even see or hear her. The Goddess of Life smiled as she waved her hand and the entire world froze and became gray.

"I'm… dreaming aren't I?" Jaune asked.

"Yes. And I have to say, it's quite a nice dream," she said.

"Why are you here?" Jaune asked.

"Because I have something to tell you," Israfil said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The fox has entered the hen house."

* * *

**So, that was a pretty heavy chapter! We're one chapter away from the dance chapter and I promise to... try and do the JNPR dance to the best of my ability. That was one of my favorite scenes in the entire series... perhaps my only favorite scene in the entire series because of how beautiful it was. I just wish Team RWBY did one... but they're protagonists... or are they? Who even is the protagonist anymore in RWBY? Anyway, Pyrrha's family. Her stepsiblings are here and they're the biggest assholes on the planet. And before anyone asks, yes, Pyrrha's siblings are named after Olympian Gods since I gave Pyrrha the Athena motif in the last chapter. Their associated colors are:**

**Silver for Diana.**

**Gold for Apollo.**

**Red for Ares.**

**Pink for Venus.**

**And now, Jaune and Alice are added to Cinder's little list of who to ruin during the Vytal Festival. Is their Semblance really the same as Maiden power or is there something else going on here? All these questions and more might be answered in the next chapter... probably, this last one might take a while to answer properly so remember to have a great day or not the choice is yours! And... please remember to leave a review. This is how stories survive on this website.**

**Edit: Why did I say Shade?**


	21. Arc 3: The Fox in the Henhouse

"_The Fox has entered the henhouse? What's that even supposed to mean?" Jaune asked, walking around the bar counter._

"_It means that it's started," Israfil said, crossing her arms as she spun on the bar chair. Her violet eyes held no mirth within them, her expression completely serious. _

_Jaune looked at her with an unnerved look on his face when she said that. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on one of the bar stools. _

"_So what am I even supposed to do? All you've done is given me a cryptic warnings left and write ever since we met. The first time, all you told me was to be prepared for the future and I had no idea what I had to be prepared for," he said._

_The blonde goddess sighed._

"_I admit… that one was a bit too vague but this time, this warning is real," Israfil said._

"_Are you going to tell me what it even means?" Jaune asked, placing his head on his chin._

"_Of course not, where would the fun in that be? I believe you to be capable of figuring everything out on your own," she said._

"_Really? What you just described sounded like the difference between life and death!" he exclaimed._

"_Well, then you have to work hard. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you but… I'm bending a few rules just to get this message to you," Israfil said with a serious look on her face._

"_Rules?"_

"_A complicated set of rules set by my older siblings when they created the world and everything in it. One of them was that Gods cannot interfere as they please in the lives of mortals," she said._

"_So you're breaking the rules to give me this really vague warning," Jaune said._

"_Hey, remember who you're talking to," Israfil said._

_Jaune's eyes widened as his mouth clamped shut. He just realized that his tone could have been perceived as rude by a God._

"_Sorry," he said._

"_It's alright. But… be vigilant and keep a look out for now. This is all I can give you… I've already bent the rule enough," she said._

"_Nevertheless, thank you for your help," Jaune said._

"_Now, don't you have a dance to get ready for?"_

"_Huh?" Jaune tilted his head._

* * *

"JAUNE!"

Jaune shot out of bed, his arms outstretched. His brain, still groggy from sleep and coming out of a dream he barely any recollection of, began to process what was happening around looked around and saw Ren standing next to him with an odd look on his face. Not caring about his appearance or lack thereof, Jaune yawned.

"Good morning, Ren… what time is it?" Jaune asked.

"Well, it's a day before prom and you and Pyrrha need to go get your suits. Not to mention that… we still need to perfect that dance routine we collectively planned as a group. Did you forget about that? Did you also forget how you said you were going to…"

"Okay, okay… just let me get ready. Hey, where did Pyrrha and the girls go?" he asked, as he noticed that he was alone this morning. Nora and Alice's beds were also empty.

"The three went ahead of us to the cafeteria. I told them that I'd be the one to wake you up. That must have been some dream you were having. I had to yell in your ear to wake you up," Ren said, straightening the tie of his uniform.

"Yeah… I don't actually remember what I…," a voice, an echo made its way into Jaune's head.

_The fox has entered the henhouse…_

"Jaune?"

"Huh?"

"You spaced out there for a second," Ren said.

"Oh, I did?" he asked.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked, looking at his team leader with worry in his eyes.

"Yeah, still a bit tired," he said.

"Well, a shower will snap you awake," Ren said.

Jaune nodded and entered the bathroom.

* * *

It was just like any other day at Beacon Academy. Classes came and went. Port lectured and the students fell asleep while Doctor Oobleck managed to lose the class once more as he spoke faster than even a supercomputer could process information. In Combat Class, there was nothing interesting going on, which was surprising to say the least. The fights were to be expected. Team RWBY wiping the floor with every fighter that each member was assigned to.

Speaking of which, Team RWBY was placed in charge of planning Beacon's dance. Velvet's team, Team CFVY as Jaune learned, was currently out on an extended mission and wouldn't make it back in time to be at the dance.

"Just one more day til the Dance," Jaune said.

Pyrrha smiled as the five walked down the hallway.

"At least everyone seems to get the hint that Pyrrha is taken and no one wants to go for Nora because of…," Alice glanced at her "No offense by the way."

"None taken! Even if someone asks me, I'll only take Renny to the dance," Nora said, putting her arm around Ren's neck. The poor boy wheezed and called for help.

"But seriously, since I'm Jaune's sister, everyone assumes that I'll say yes like him," Alice said.

"Is that why you've been using Jaune as repellant?" Pyrrha asked.

His sister had been sticking closer to him the entire week. It had started when the dance drew near. People asking each other to the dance and his sister was no stranger to this. She was a girl after all and the men of Beacon seemed desperate and… in Jaune's opinion, horny enough, to go after a pure maiden such as his sister. Alice seemed to have noticed this almost immediately and began using her older twin as boy repellant, which he happily agreed to. And the rest of the team helped. No one in the school could withstand the full force of a combined glare from Team JNPAR as the A hid behind all the JNPR of the team.

"Well, for the most part, but twin bonding is crucial to many opposite gender twinships!" Alice said.

"Well, Jaune and I need to go pick up our suits for tomorrow," Ren said.

"And we need to go pick up our dresses," Pyrrha added "Why don't we all go into Vale together?"

"Yeah that sounds like a great idea," Alice said.

"You guys go on ahead and wait at the landing pads. I need… to you know," Jaune points his thumb towards the men's restroom. The others nodded and went ahead as Jaune ran in and locked himself in a stall.

* * *

After much deliberation, she had decided to do it. Ever since he got back, he was all she could think about. She was mad. Mad at Pyrrha for keeping his survival a secret. Mad at Pyrrha for not inviting her over to Domremy but it wasn't her fault since Alice practically hated her entire team but what was she to do. Ruby had gotten over it of course, after a cookie and some milk but ever since he got back, she couldn't hold it in forever. After all, she saw him every day. She might as well come out and say it.

Ruby stalked the halls of Beacon after watching Team JNPAR leave Combat Class. Of course, she should be at the Multipurpose Room helping her sister and Weiss with decorations but if Blake didn't have to be there, then she as team leader didn't have to show up either. So this is where she found herself now, waiting. Outside of the men's restroom for Jaune.

"Okay okay okay, this is going to be easy. I mean, if the women in Blake's books are able to get any guy they want, then I should be able to at least get Jaune to go to the dance with me… and I'll go from there," Ruby muttered to herself.

Her mind had never had to be girly before. After all, she was all fighting Grimm and weapons, not… swooning over boys and nail polish. She was never really the girly type of girl. No, her sister referred to her as an Action Girl.

Ruby jumped when she heard the door open behind her. Cursing herself for being startled, Ruby turned around to see… Professor Port coming out of the restroom. She sighed in annoyance, catching her teacher's attention.

"Is there something wrong Miss Rose?" the older man asked as he gave her an inquisitive look.

"No no, I'm just waiting for someone and I thought you were them," she said, looking down.

"I see. Well, I'll be heading to my office if you need anything. Remember, just because the dance is tomorrow doesn't mean you can slack off on that essay on the biology of Grimm," Port said, before leaving.

Ruby nodded halfheartedly as she watched Port walk down the hall.

"Huh, I didn't even start that yet," a voice said.

Ruby turned around and jumped when she saw Jaune. He looked at her oddly. She internally cursed herself for even doing that twice. She made a mental note to ask her sister and her teammates for training in presence sensing.

"Something wrong?" Jaune asked. He was getting kind of unnerved. Ruby had been staring at him for at least a minute now.

"Huh?"

"You've been staring at me for a while now," he said.

"Oh, I have? Sorry, um… this is a bit awkward for me," Ruby said.

"Yeah, I gotta go," Jaune said as he hurriedly walked past her.

"Wait!"

"Huh?"

Ruby fidgeted as she gripped the hem of her uniform's skirt. Her heart was beating a million miles per second and Ruby felt that it would jump out of her chest at any moment now. Her face was growing hot as she found the courage to look him in the eye. Was this spur of the moment? She thought so… but she knew that she wouldn't get another chance like this. She needed to stake her claim now. She needed to build a bridge while there was still a bridge to be built and what better way to do that than to go to a dance with him.

"What is it?" Jaune asked, tilting his head slightly. He guessed this wasn't as bad as talking to Weiss or Yang. Out of the three, Ruby was the one he actually saw becoming friends with again. But then again, she did leave him to his fate so he was still a bit iffy on that.

"W- Will…," she stuttered.

"Will?"

"Umm… uhhh," Ruby was getting more and more nervous by the second.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go to the dance together!?" she blurted out.

"Oh…," Jaune was shocked. Ruby had just asked him to go to the dance with her. While he was somewhat flattered that a girl came up and asked him, he never expected it to be Ruby. Now, he was at a loss for what to say. He was already going with Pyrrha but he didn't want to hurt Ruby's feelings. After a moment of careful deliberation, Jaune made his decision. He would let her down… gently. At least, he hoped it was.

"I'm sorry, Ruby. I can't go with you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"O- Oh… I see," Ruby stood there, turning her gaze to the floor. "Is there a reason… why? Is it because of…?"

"P- Partly but… I'm already going with Pyrrha. I asked her to the dance a few days ago," Jaune said.

"Oh… I see. Well, I guess I'll see you at the dance," Ruby said, trying to keep her cheerful facade up. What did she expect? That he'd say yes? She turned around to leave when she heard him speak.

"Ruby… for what it's worth, I'm sorry I couldn't accompany you to the dance. I know that we aren't on the best of terms right now and I thought that this was a really sweet gesture to try and become friends again but… I'm sorry," he said.

Ruby felt a tear streak down her face before walking away without saying a word.

* * *

"Wow, I knew that there were going to be a lot of people here but I didn't know that it would be this packed," Jaune said as he and his team waited in a queue. At the front, they spotted Yang Xiao Long checking her scroll for the guest list of everyone who had bought a ticket to attend the dance.

"Yeah… your bow is all messed up," Pyrrha said as she straightened his gold bowtie. Jaune nodded as he remained still.

This outfit that he wore to the dance was rather stylish and sleek. It made him look noble like a knight attending the debutante of the lady he had sworn himself to. His outfit consisted of a tux. His tuxedo jacket was white with gold embroidered into the ends of his sleeves. The lapels were also gold alongside Jaune's bowtie. His undershirt was a white button-up with a golden vest. He wore black trousers and black oxfords that hugged his feet. All in all, this outfit cost Jaune several months' worth of allowances.

"How's it look?" Jaune asked.

"Not bad… oh, how do I look?" Pyrrha asked as she did a small twirl.

Jaune gulped. Pyrrha looked extremely beautiful in her dress. The color matched her hair and brought out her eyes. The dress accentuated all of Pyrrha's curves in just the right manner that it made the other men and some women in the line drool. There was a slit in one of its sides, showing off her long legs as well as her circlet and her red heels which had bronze accents at the tip.

"You look great… no one in this ballroom looks better than you," he said.

Pyrrha blushed and smiled, before hugging his arm.

"You two are going to give me diabetes with all your flirting," Alice said. Her dress was the same color as Jaune's tux. A simple off the shoulder, pleated white dress with golden accents at the hem, making it glitter like the night sky. Her hair was braided like normal but she had traded her usual white lace headband for a royal blue band that had a small star embroidered on it.

"We're not that bad are we?" Jaune asked.

"You are," Ren said as Nora straightened his emerald green bowtie.

"Next… oh! Team JNPAR," Yang said as they reached the front.

"Let's see," Yang said as she typed in their team name into her scroll. The team waited patiently before Yang gave them a thumbs-up and walked inside. As they passed her, Yang locked eyes with Jaune before she returned to her task.

The twins had been to dances before and so had Pyrrha. However, for Ren and Nora, who had been living on the move since they were kids, they had never been to anything like this before. Heard of it from the mouths of errant children, sure, but to go to one themselves, it was a first for them.

"REN! Look! Punch!" Nora said as she ran off to the refreshments table.

"I'll go make sure she doesn't destroy anything," Ren said as he followed after her.

The sound of music blared through the speakers as Remnant's most popular songs were played at max volume. Songs like _This Will Be The Day _and _Mirror Mirror_ echoed as students from all the schools danced and had fun. The remaining members of Team JNPAR sat and chatted for a while as guests came in and the songs changed faster than Oobleck could talk.

Alice stood off to the side and exchanged brief glances with her twin brother. Jaune smiled in appreciation as he grabbed Pyrrha and moved to the dance floor. Alice, taking the hint, walked over to where the DJ was and hopped onto the stage.

"Hey, can I?" Alice asked.

"If you have a request, take it up with that scroll," the DJ said, nodding to the scroll that students were typing their song requests on.

"Yeah, no," Alice said. She shoved him out of the way and looked for the most romantic song she could find on the list.

She locked eyes with Jaune who she sent a thumbs up. A tune to slow dance for couples began playing almost immediately as the people on the dance floor cleared out to allow for the couples to dance.

"This is nice," Pyrrha said as she and Jaune swayed around on the dance floor. The feeling of his warmth passing onto her was heavenly and divine. She savored this feeling.

"Yeah, it feels like we're the only people on the floor," Jaune said, whispering into her ear. The feeling of his hot breath tickling her skin sent shivers crawling down her spine.

"This… doesn't feel real, almost like I'm in a dream," she said.

"Well if this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up. I just want to stay in this moment forever," Jaune said.

"They look like they're having fun," Yang said as she and Ruby watched from the balcony. She had switched out with another student for logging guests a while back.

Ruby nodded wordlessly, watching with burning envy in her eyes as Jaune and Pyrrha danced.

"Is everything alright? You've been trying to kill Pyrrha with that stare ever since the dance started," Yang said.

"No, I'm fine, I need to go. I'm not feeling well," Ruby said as she walked away from the balcony.

Yang sighed. She knew that asking Jaune was a bad idea but whenever Ruby got something into her head, she would go through with it no matter how bad of an idea it was.

Ruby suppressed her urge to breakdown. Perhaps because it was her first rejection and the fact that it was Jaune that made her feel this way. Feelings of resentment flowed through her body. Hatred for her sister and Weiss for tormenting Jaune. Hatred for the students of Beacon. Hatred for Pyrrha for being there for him. It should've been her that comforted Jaune. And most importantly, hatred for herself. Hatred for her lack of strength to go against what her sister and the others were doing to him.

As she lamented in all her mistakes, Ruby noticed someone. A woman wearing a mask sneaking out of the dance room towards…

"Huh?" she muttered. She hastily wiped the tears she felt forming and ran after her.

* * *

The slow dance ended with Jaune and Pyrrha finishing their dance. The two returned to the table where they saw Alice, Ren, and Nora clapping lightly. The two bowed jokingly and sat down.

"Tonight's been great!" Jaune said as he looped his arm around Pyrrha's waist. She giggled as she leaned into his embrace.

"I can say, you two look really happy," Alice said.

"So this is him?"

They all turned to see Blake walking over with a blonde monkey Faunus. He grinned devilishly at them, especially the female members.

"Sun, cut it out," Blake said. "Can we sit?"

"Sure," Ren said.

The two smiled gratefully as they pulled out two chairs and sat down.

"So, we never introduced ourselves, my name is Jaune and this is Pyrrha. The blonde girl that looks like me is my sister, Alice, and the orange sitting next to the man with black and pink hair is Nora and the one next to her is Ren," Jaune said.

"Right. You already know who I am thanks to Blake but I'm Sun. I'm from Haven Academy," he said. He blinked as he registered the number of names that Jaune had just introduced.

"Wait, you're a team of five?" Sun asked.

"Yeah, we're a unique situation," Alice said.

"I see, I see. What's that like? Having an extra teammate?" he asked.

"Well, it's fun. We have someone to play peacemaker whenever there's an argument and it'll make missions easier when we finally get to go on them," Ren said.

"We also have a better way of cheating since Jaune and Alice are twins and they can mentally communicate answers to each o- OW!"

Alice glared at Nora as she dug her heel into Nora's foot.

"Twin telepathy huh?" Sun asked.

"Don't listen to her. She's high on her own dopamine half the time," Alice said, smiling.

Sun chuckled as the group continued to talk. Team JNPAR soon learned after listening to Sun's rather long anecdotes that he was similar to Ruby in a way. Well, not completely. Sun entered Haven when he was 17 like the other students and he didn't have silver eyes. The similarity between them started and ended at two points. They were both team leaders and they had teams who were named after them. For Sun, it was Team SSSN.

"Speaking of teams, Blake, where's the rest of your team?" Sun asked.

"I don't know… I didn't want to go to this dance but I came for them…," _And Jaune_, she mentally added.

"I think I see that Weiss girl. She's over there trying to get Neptune's attention I think" Sun said as he pointed. The others followed his finger and saw Weiss talking to a boy with blue hair.

"And Yang is…"

"Here."

Blake and the others turned to see Yang walking up to them with a worried look on her face.

"Yang? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Ruby. She left to go back to our dorm but she's not answering her scroll," Yang said.

"And you think I know where she went?"

"No, I just need your help to go look for her," Yang said.

"Hmmm, fine. I'll help. Sun, can you stay here with them while I help Yang," she asked.

"Yeah, sure," Sun said.

* * *

Cinder darted across the rooftops of Beacon. She smiled inwardly. This was far easier than she had anticipated. With the teachers and students distracted by the dance, she wouldn't need to worry about being overly careful with how she moved.

Cinder landed nearly soundlessly behind some shrubbery. Her golden eyes scanned the front of the CCT.

"5… 6, 7, 8 guards," she whispered, "The rest must be inside…"

Using her aura, Cinder boosted her speed as she became a dark blur that shot across the courtyard. Her speed was far too great for the guards to perceive. Cinder ran and hid behind a pillar, seeing that there was a guard at the door. The guard waved as a patrol walked past him into the building.

As soon as the guard turned and the patrol left, Cinder appeared behind the guard and delivered a chop to his neck, knocking him out. Before the others could notice, Cinder dragged the body off and hid him behind some of the potted plants.

Smiling, Cinder walked through the front door and into the building, all the while never knowing that a certain silver-eyed girl was tailing her.

* * *

Jaune and Pyrrha sat with smiles on their faces as they watched Sun try (and fail) to flirt with Alice. The girl, as the boy realized, shared many of the same personality traits with Jaune including his… somewhat subtle challenging nature.

Pyrrha giggled. She went to pick up her glass when she saw it was empty.

"Hey, wanna go take a walk around campus and get away from here?" Jaune asked.

"What about everyone else?" she asked.

Jaune smiled and pointed to Alice burying Sun's face in cake while Nora and Ren were nowhere to be seen.

"Where did they…?"

Pyrrha pointed her thumb to the dance floor where Jaune saw Nora dancing with Ren. He smiled. Those two should really get together already.

"Come on," Pyrrha said.

The two snuck out of the ballroom and began walking around outside. The calm breeze of the night sky blew past them, causing Pyrrha to shiver. Jaune glanced over to her and took his jacket off. He wrapped it around her, causing her to look at him.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine. Besides, I'm wearing a long-sleeved dress-shirt under this," Jaune said.

"Thanks, Jaune," she said.

"This is a nice night," Jaune said.

"Yeah, the dance was fun but it was too packed and crowded. I never really liked large gatherings. I preferred small ones," she admitted.

"The Festival of Israfil was a pretty large gathering," Jaune remarked.

"Yeah, but it had that… nostalgic feel to it that I enjoyed. It made me feel like I was at home you know," she said, "I enjoyed it far more than I did whenever I went to a ball or something…"

"Yeah, I can get how it can you can't enjoy something like that. I can't imagine having to deal with all those people trying to get to know you just because you're the champion," he said.

"It was horrible, to be honest. Everyone had a fake face on. No one had any real personality. It's like they were hiding from the rest of the world," she said.

"Well, some people at Beacon do that too," Jaune said.

"Like you?"

"Like me… during the early days of Beacon," he said. "Maybe if I'd been sincere and upfront, none of this would've happened…"

"Well, if none of this happened, you would still be pining after Weiss," Pyrrha joked.

"I told you… I stopped liking her after she rejected me for the fiftieth time," he said.

Pyrrha smiled at his words. She was about to say something when she saw a streak across the sky.

"Is that a…?"

"Is that a what?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha pointed at the white streak across the sky that landed behind a couple of the campus buildings. The two glanced at each other before running to find out what it was. When they got there, they saw Ruby taking Crescent Rose from what was her weapons locker. The streak of light that Pyrrha saw must have been Ruby's locker.

"Ruby?" Jaune called out.

"Huh? Jaune? Pyrrha? What are you guys doing here? Isn't the dance still happening?" Ruby asked, surprised by their presence.

"Er, yes, we just went to get some fresh air is all," Pyrrha said.

"Ruby? Why do you have Crescent Rose?" Jaune asked.

"Someone snuck into the CCT and took out the guards! Look!" Ruby said, pointing to the unconscious soldier.

"What? We should go call for help!" Jaune said.

"We don't have time. Whoever did this might get away," Ruby said. She paid no heed to their calls as she ran through the door.

Jaune sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Come on," Pyrrha said.

"What? Wait, we're going after her?" he asked.

"Of course. We're not going to let Ruby face this alone," Pyrrha said.

"What about our weapons?" Jaune asked as he ran after her.

"It'll take too long for them to get here. Let's go," she said.

* * *

Cinder hummed in satisfaction as she walked out of the elevator. The guards inside were knocked unconscious as she pocketed a scroll that she had stolen from one of them.

Cinder walked down the rows of terminals, marveling at the fact that no one was inside the server room. She guessed that there would at least be a few people inside but it seems that the festivities caused them to become lax with their security. Whatever the reason may be, she didn't care. It meant less work for her to do.

Cinder walked up to the main terminal and sat down in front of the screen. She pulled something out of her pocket. A small black flash drive with a Queen Chess Piece symbol on it. Cinder plugged it into the USB port and began to type.

_Watts can do something good for once. At least I don't have to guess the password to this thing_, Cinder thought as she saw the password cracker that Watts had placed into the flash drive unlock the screen.

Once she was logged in, Cinder began injecting what she came here for. Strings of code appeared on the screen when she received a call.

"What is it? I'm busy," Cinder said.

"_One of the party guests just left the room_," Emerald said.

Cinder stiffened for a moment. Her golden eyes narrowed as the reflection of code on the computer screen appeared in her eyes.

"Who?" she asked.

"_Ironwood_," Emerald said.

"_I guess the general has had enough fun for one night_," she heard Mercury remark.

"_Do you want us to take care of it?_" Emerald asked.

Cinder looked up and saw that the download was eighty-eight percent complete. Only a few more minutes before it would be done and she could go.

"No. We're done here," Cinder said. A satisfied smirk appeared on her face as the icon of a queen piece appeared on her screen. On every terminal screen behind her, the same icon appeared before flickering and the screen returned to normal.

Cinder dusted herself off and was about to leave when the sound of the elevator arriving caught her attention. She quickly ducked behind one of the computers as the door opened.

"I'm just saying… we should've called for help," Jaune said as they walked out. He and Pyrrha were on high alert due to them not being armed.

Ruby was cocked her scythe, preparing for anything to come out.

"And I said, that we won't get the back-up in time," Ruby argued.

"Can you two just focus?" Pyrrha said.

Jaune was about to nod when he noticed something off. His eyes flickered violet for a few moments before looking around the room. This energy. It felt… strange. It was nothing like aura. It felt more like…

"Someone's here," Jaune said.

Behind the terminal, Cinder narrowed her eyes. How did he know? She cursed inwardly as she decided to walk out.

"Look," Jaune said, narrowing his eyes. This woman. She was the source of this strange feeling. This strange energy that he sensed. It was coming from her but for some reason, it felt… wrong.

"Hey, you know this isn't a masquerade ball right?" Ruby asked.

Cinder remained silent as she pulled out a vial of dust from her pocket. She opened it and the dust crystals materialized in front of her. Jaune's eyes widened as he was barely able to project a barrier in front of Ruby to block the crystals.

Jaune lowered the barrier as Ruby fired several rounds from Crescent Rose.

Cinder raised her hand and blocked the bullets, forming small subtle aura shields. She performed a backward spin, summoning fire as she formed her weapons. A pair of jet-black dual blades that she aptly named Midnight.

"Ruby wait!" Pyrrha said as the smaller girl used the ricochet of her weapon to dash towards Cinder.

Ruby raised Crescent Rose above her head and brought it down for an overhead slash. Cinder flipped out of the way, easily avoiding her. She jammed the hilts of her weapon together, forming a bow as she created arrows with her semblance, superheating the surrounding metal debris.

She fired them at Jaune, Ruby, and Pyrrha. Jaune creates a small black ball and fires it at one of the arrows, causing it to explode while the others hit the ground, causing them to slide back. Ruby dug Crescent Rose's blade into the ground to halt her movement.

"Who are you?" Jaune asked as he eyed the masked Cinder.

"...," Cinder remained silent and looked behind them when the elevator door opened.

The three became confused and looked behind them as the elevator door opened. Ironwood looked at them oddly before spotting the state of the room.

Ruby smiled and turned to make a snappy remark at her foe when she noticed that she wasn't there anymore.

"What happened here?" Ironwood said as he ran inside.

"T- There was a woman here!" Ruby said.

"Woman? What did she look like?" he asked.

"We… didn't see her face. She was wearing a mask. The only features we were able to make out was that she had yellow eyes and black hair," Jaune said.

Ironwood grunted as he pulled out his scroll. He tapped a few buttons before speaking.

"Do a full sweep of the school. We had a breach in the CCT," Ironwood said.

"Um… uh," Jaune said.

"General Ironwood. Is there anything we can do to help?" Pyrrha asked.

"What? No… not at the moment. You three. Go back to the dance. We'll call you when we need you," Ironwood said.

The three nodded and left the room.

"What are you up to?" Ironwood said as he faced the screens.

For a split second, a large black queen piece appeared on the screen before flickering away.

* * *

**Sorry for the late upload but college has been keeping me busy. I promise that I'll keep trying to get my stories out by their new schedules. Okay, I know you all wanted it but I'm sorry for not putting in the Team JNPR dance from the show. I needed Jaune to see Cinder in this chapter to reveal that little tidbit just now. It'll make Cinder's life much harder knowing that he can... sense her. I especially hoped you like the small fluff scenes at the beginning. Trust me, I had to rewrite some of those words multiple times. And I know it may seem like Ruby's interaction with Jaune at the beginning was forced but... as a character in the earlier volumes, Ruby was impulsive so I felt that it felt her personality to just do that out of the blue. At least, for me it made sense. Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter. Please leave a review. It really helps and be prepared for something next chapter or... maybe not the next but the one after that. **


	22. The Mission

**I do not own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.**

* * *

Ozpin felt a headache coming on. It had only been a day since the incident had happened and the entirety of the Atlas Military was performing the equivalent of a cavity search on his school. He grabbed his mug and looked inside.

Empty.

He sighed and glanced over to Ironwood, who was pacing back and forth across his office. The man's rage and frustration were palpable if his clenched fists and furrowed brows were any indicators. His flint-grey eyes looked over to Ozpin.

"They were here, Ozpin. They were here!" Ironwood said, looking at the weary headmaster.

Glynda crossed her arms and sent James an annoyed look. She was at her wit's end. Ever since that incident at night, Ironwood had his troops interrogate students and members of the staff.

"We know they were here. You've clearly established that fact when you did a cavity search on the entire school," she said.

"Great! Just great! Now that we know, are we actually going to do something about it or stand here and twidle our thumbs and ignore the entire situation?" he fired back.

Ozpin rubbed his temples. This was becoming extremely annoying. Between having to deal with the enemy possibly inside their school and the fallout of the revelation of a certain someone still being alive, he can safely say that this has been a horrible semester for him so far.

His saving grace came in the form of the elevator door to his office ringing. The door opened with Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc, and Pyrrha Nikos with the third member of the group looking rather annoyed while Jaune just looked tired. Ruby looked somewhat ashamed and Ozpin could guess what had gone down inside the elevator.

"Ah! We're sorry we took so long… someone pressed all the buttons on the elevator," she said.

Pyrrha tried to keep her exasperation hidden while Jaune struggled to contain his laughter.

"It wasn't me, I swear," Ruby said.

"Nevermind that. You three, how are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.

"Thank you for your concern, Professor. We're doing fine as of right now," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, though it kind of sucks that the dance had to be finished early," Jaune said.

No one spoke up at his words. The three adults just stared at him with no hint of amusement in his eyes, causing him to speak.

"R- Right, read the mood," Jaune said.

The three stopped when Ironwood walked over to them.

"You three. I feel that it is appropriate to commend you for the actions that you took last night. Your minds are in the appropriate state for being Huntsman and Huntresses. You three recognized a threat and did your best to deal with it," Ironwood said, offering them a small salute.

"Oh, well, thank you sir," Ruby said, returning her own salute.

"Yes, it's an honor," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah but… she got away. And she's still out there," Jaune said, clenching his fist.

"It's alright. We've already begun to track her," Ironwood said.

"Ah yes, about that," Ozpin said, his voice catching all of their attention.

"Yes, Professor?" Jaune asked.

"General Ironwood here has informed us of the events that transpired last night and we are well aware of the situation at hand. However, there are still some missing pieces so now that you three are well-rested, is there perhaps any information that we are unaware of that you might know?" Ozpin asked.

"Was she alone? Did any of you three happen to recognize her?" Glynda added.

"Er, well…," Pyrrha began.

"No, we didn't recognize her for one," Jaune said.

"And from what it looked like… she was alone," Ruby said. "And to add to what Jaune said, she wore a mask so that made it hard for us to make out any other facial features. She also fought with glass but…"

"From the looks of it, that wasn't her semblance," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, her clothes lit up whenever she attacked," Jaune said.

"Hmm," Ozpin crossed his arms.

Next to him, Glynda placed her hand on her chin. Her eyes widened after a few seconds, recognizing the descriptions they were given.

"From the details aside from the glass, the woman sounds like the woman that Ruby and I encountered on the night we met her," Glynda said.

"That's highly unlikely. From the description of the clothes lighting up, it sounds like the woman wove dust into her clothing. That itself is an age-old technique that a lot of older hunters still use and third-year students in every hunting school are taught," Ironwood said.

"Wait," Ruby stepped forward. "You think that that woman was with Torchwick and the Whitefang?"

Ironwood and Ozpin went silent.

"Perhaps it's possible," the silver-haired man said. He pushed his glasses up as he focused on the three.

"Mister Arc, Miss Nikos, you two may head back to your team. Miss Rose, please stay here for a few more seconds," Ozpin said.

"Eh? What did Ruby do?" Jaune asked.

"It's not about what Miss Rose did. It's that, if she is correct, she has faced off against this woman before," the headmaster replied.

"I see," Pyrrha muttered.

"Rest assured, Miss Rose will only be a few seconds behind you. If you wish, you may wait for her by the elevator," he said.

"N- No! I'll be fine. You guys can go," Ruby said.

"Really? You'll be okay here?" Pyrrha asked.

"I will," she responded.

Jaune and Pyrrha glanced at each other and then to Ruby before nodding. The two walked over to the elevator and got inside. The ride down was a long one. Ozpin's office was at the highest point in Beacon after all.

"That was intense," Jaune said, finally releasing a heavy breath that he had been holding. He glanced over to Pyrrha, who had visibly relaxed as she wiped a small bead of sweat off her forehead.

"Y- Yeah, though I expected something more," she said.

"You really think that woman was the woman Ruby told everyone about on the first day of school?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know but if Professor Goodwitch believes that they're similar enough," Pyrrha said.

"Hmm, what bothered me was what she was doing at the CCT in the first place?" Jaune pondered, placing his hand on his chin.

"Let's not think about it too much, Jaune. Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood have this covered. It's not in our hands anymore," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He glanced at her and nodded as the two left the elevator.

* * *

Jaune dropped his pack on the ground atop all the other bags from the various students from the Four Academies that had come here for the Vytal Festival this year. He walked over to his team, all of whom were waiting for Ozpin to begin speaking.

"Look, it's team RWBY," Alice whispered. He glanced over to the four girls as they made their way over to them. Ruby and Blake waved while Weiss and Yang remained tense when the Arc twins laid their eyes on them.

Team RWBY and JNPAR stood with them as they all looked towards the stage of the Auditorium.

"Headmaster Ozpin would like to say a few words before we begin," Glynda said, catching all their attention.

The room slowly went silent as the Headmaster of Beacon walked up to the microphone and began his speech.

Jaune listened as Ozpin began to talk about the Great War. About how the war was fought for many reasons with one of the biggest ones being the destruction of art and self-expression. It was facts that everyone on the planet already knew but it was rather inspiring to hear. Jaune found himself captured by the way Ozpin spoke, feeling uplifted as Ozpin expressed the importance of unity and effort as the foundation of the peace of the Four Kingdoms. He found himself inspired as Ozpin stated that_ they_ were the reasons that the peace was currently being held.

"Which is why today, while the world celebrates peace, Huntsman and Huntresses work to uphold it," he said.

Jaune noticed a few hardlight screens appear around the auditorium as Ozpin began to enter the final part of his speech.

"As first-year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional huntsman or huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken outside of the kingdom for several days while the rest of you might work within the safety of the walls for the rest of the week. But remember, no matter which path you choose, remember your training, remember to be safe, and remember to do your best. Huntsman and Huntresses, godspeed on your mission and remember to watch each other's backs," he said.

The entire room erupted in applause as Ozpin walked off the stage.

The entirety of Team JNPAR glanced at each other before making their way over to one of the screens. Jaune pressed the screen. A series of missions popped up ranging from perimeter defense to search and destroy.

"Ooh! Which one should we pick?" Nora said, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Perimeter defense?" Jaune suggested.

"No, Big Brother. You have to live a little. How about Search and Destroy?" Alice said.

"It would be nice to get out of the Kingdom for a couple of days," Ren said.

"Yeah that would be really nice," Pyrrha said.

"So Search and Destroy?" Jaune asked as he clicked on the option.

They all nodded and he turned back around and typed in the team name.

The screen loaded and a confirmation screen appeared. Jaune pulled out his scroll when he heard it beep and saw a new ping.

"So this is the mission," Jaune said as he began reading the details.

"A Bandit Cell has been located in the Quadrant 2 which is the Northeastern Part of Vale. Our job is to go in and eliminate the bandits," Jaune said.

"Eliminate as in… kill?" Pyrrha asked.

"...," he remained silent as he kept reading. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw who was heading this mission.

"Our leader is Professor Goodwitch," he said.

"It's nice to know that someone like her is leading us on this mission," Alice said. "Big Sis Glyn will probably be strict with us or something…"

"I can assure you, Miss Arc, that the reason I will be strict is that so none of you die. I won't have a repeat of that fiasco back at Aurbis."

Glynda's voice caused them all to turn around to see the slightly amused eyes of the combat instructor. A small smile made its way to her face as she gestured for Jaune to hand her his scroll. After he did, she tapped a few buttons on the screen before handing it back to him.

"I just placed further details on the mission as well as where your team shall meet me later today. For now, get some rest and grab whatever you need for this while I go take care of a few things regarding the incident at prom," Glynda said.

"Of course professor," Jaune said.

"I'll see you and the rest of your team no later than the time listed," she said before walking off after Ozpin.

"You guys wanna head back to the dorm?" Jaune asked as he watched Glynda disappear with Ozpin. His eyes traveled over to team RWBY who were leaving the auditorium.

"Yeah, let's go get our stuff. What time did Professor Goodwitch say we have to be there?" Alice asked.

"We have to be at the port in 2 hours… it's half-past eleven so… about one thirty," Jaune said.

"Come on. Let's go see what other supplies we need to-!"

"Well, well, well," a voice called out.

That voice made Pyrrha freeze. She gritted her teeth and her entire body tensed up. She knew that voice. She wanted nothing to do with that voice.

_Diana must have told them_, she thought.

But she knew that wasn't true. It was common knowledge that the Champion of Mistral had gone to Beacon rather than Haven Academy.

"Venus," she said.

Pyrrha turned around and noticed that her friends were already standing around her protectively. She felt touched. They must have noticed her sudden tense-up.

Venus wasn't different from the last time Pyrrha saw her. Her face contained that light touch of pink make up. Her flowing light red hair cascaded past her shoulder and she wore that armor that she could barely call combat gear. It revealed too much skin in her opinion.

The man next to Venus was extremely bulky. If they had a person to compare this man to, it would be the second-year student, Yatsuhashi of Team CFVY. He had spiky red hair and sapphire blue eyes. Unlike the rest of his companions, he didn't give them a look of superiority. Instead, all he held was a look of discernment. Like he was analyzing and gauging their battle prowess. He wore a black shirt underneath a large leather long coat with black combat pants and boots.

Next to Diana was a man who looked nearly identical to her. Due to the similarity, he looked almost androgynous in nature but retained enough features as so people wouldn't mistake him to be a trap. He had long red hair down to his mid-back tied in a ponytail and orange eyes. He wore a white vest with a yellow shirt underneath. His pants were black much like Diana's with black combat boots.

"I see that the champion of Mistral remembers me," she said, walking over. She was completely unintimidated by Pyrrha's team. That air of arrogance rolled off her like the morning fog.

"Don't," Jaune said, standing in front of Pyrrha.

"Oh and who are you?" Venus asked.

"I'm her partner," he said.

She scanned him up and down. He was plain in her eyes in terms of appearance however… her eyes drifted over to Pyrrha, who was leaking a subtle aura of possessiveness.

_Does she like this boy? I wonder…_, she thought. A wicked smile graced her beautiful features as she gave Jaune a seductive gaze.

"And you want to be partners with someone as boring as her? Why don't you be partners with someone who can give you a good time?" Venus said, leaning in close to Jaune.

Pyrrha's eyes dulled in response as she think of a million ways to hurt her step-sister. As she was about to move to shove Venus, Jaune pushed the woman away. It wasn't a harsh push but it was by no means gentle. Venus stumbled back in shock when she saw Jaune glaring at her, his eyes glowing a deep shade of violet. His glare sent shivers down her spine.

"Don't touch me," he said. "Come on guys…"

Ren looked at the team coldly while Nora gave them the stink eye, sticking her tongue out for added effect as they walked. Alice gave them a sideways glance with a glare similar to the one her brother, except her eyes flashed gold rather than violet.

"What a rude man… well, it goes to show that people who hang around our dear stepsister become foolish, don't you think Diana?" the red-haired man in the white suit said.

"Hmph, well, you're not wrong about that Apollo," she said.

"Venus, are you alright?" the bulky man said.

"I need to get that man, Ares," she responded.

"Huh?" was the collective response of the three.

Venus began to shiver in pleasure as she began to think of ways to get him on her side. The sheer pleasure of getting someone like him to fall for her seduction and to see the despair on Pyrrha's face when she sees her riding him in their dorm. And most of all, the face that Jaune would make when she breaks him.

"Fufufu," Venus giggled as the rest of her team backed away from her.

* * *

When Team JNPAR arrived at the landing pad, the scene was rather nostalgic. At least for the original members of the team of course. Glynda Goodwitch waited at the entrance of the airship with a scroll in hand and a single pack. She looked up from her scroll and beckoned for them to come over. The mission was,overall, beginning to look eerily similar to that mission they took to Argus. Albeit, that mission as they now realized was most likely illegal due to how inexperienced they all were.

But none of that mattered now. Glynda walked forward with her scroll in her hand and stood before them.

"You five have selected to come with me to Quadrant Two on a Search and Destroy mission in the Northeastern Part of Vale. Our mission is simple. A group of bandits have taken residence up in that area. Our goal is to wipe out that cell. The bandits can either be brought back alive," she said, looking them all in the eye.

She saw them all become uncomfortable when she trailed off. However, she noted that Jaune was visibly less unperturbed by her words.

"Or dead," she said.

"W- Wait… we have to kill people?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes. Such is the life of a hunter, Miss Nikos. We are not a glamorous profession. As soon as you are out of Beacon, you will be forced to do some less than savory things… such as killing Humans and Faunus," she said.

"I see," Pyrrha said, not at all comfortable with taking the life of someone else.

"Any other questions?" Glynda asked.

No one spoke up. She nodded in satisfaction as she used her Semblance to levitate their packs onto the Bullhead.

* * *

The ride to the Northeastern Quadrant of Vale was a long one. They really didn't anticipate how long this trip would take. After boarding the ship, Glynda had informed them that they might be away for several days due to tracking down the tribe. Of course, none of them had any objections to this. After all, other than Jaune, this would be a good way for them to gain some real-life experience. Well, more real life experience aside from that disaster of a mission back in Aurbis.

After a few hours, they arrived at a small village town in the northeast portion of Vale. The town was rather quaint, seemingly stuck in the past with their semi-victorian architecture. Steam rose from a section of the town and from the air, they saw that the town had several hotsprings. As they exited the Bullhead, Glynda stopped and turned to speak to them.

"Now, usually, in a Search and Destroy, we need information… far more than what was provided to us in the briefing so we will go speak with the village chief or mayor on this matter. I want you all to observe how to go about discussing details with the client in general. Most huntsman missions in Vale are commissioned by the Valean Government via a complex bureaucracy that maintains the circulation and flow of missions. And these missions are sent here by village mayors such as the person we are about to meet," she said as they walked down the street.

"So, we're sort of like…," Nora began.

"Quasi-Mercenaries?" Ren finished.

"In a sense, however, in addition to taking care of requests sent in by villages, the Valean Government dispatches Hunters on clean-up missions of Grimm or Criminals, which still requires us to speak with whoever knows the area the best. Remember that information is one of the most powerful tools a Hunter can wield. One can have the best weapon or the strongest semblance, but careful planning and preparation can turn the tide of battle as easily as the strongest sword," Glynda explained as they arrived outside of the village's town hall

The team followed Goodwitch inside and watched as she spoke with the secretary. The secretary got up from behind her desk and led them down the hall to the mayor's office.

As opposed to most towns in Vale, the mayor of this sleepy spring town was a faunus. From the looks of it, he was of the deer variant if his antlers were anything to go by.

As per instructions, Team JNPAR hung back as Glynda sat down in a chair that the mayor gestured to. The mayor was rather cordial if not a bit dreary. However, they chalked it up to the stress of running a town in addition to dealing with repeated bandit attacks. The mayor described how the bandits had appeared merely a few weeks ago but now the town was on its last legs. In addition to inexplicable changes in weather, the past few weeks had been harsh on the old deer.

Glynda asked if he knew the general location of where the bandits were. Of course, the mayor responded with a no. Apparently, he had sent out several of the village's fighters only for the party to come back empty-handed. However, despite that, they had deduced that the bandits were indeed camped out in the surrounding forests based on clues that they had found which pointed to a large number of people staying in an area.

"Thank you for your time, Mayor," Glynda said.

"No thank you. The sooner you get rid of those bandits, the better," he said.

"Believe me, Mister Mayor. We shall perform the task with utmost efficiency," Glynda said. She glanced over to Team JNPAR as she stood from her chair. She shook the Mayor's hand one last time before beckoning for the team to follow her out the door.

"Now, all of you, what did you get from watching me?" she asked as they walked out of City Hall.

"Always remain calm when speaking to contacts or clientele," Alice answered.

"Good, what else?" she asked.

"I noticed that you never brought up the nature of payment. Is that something that the government handles?" Ren asked.

"Yes, the government handles Hunter paychecks and never our client. If the mission was submitted by a client to the government for bounty missions, the client is required to make a deposit. This deposit has multiple purposes with the main two being reparation and payment," she said.

"What about if the client doesn't know where the target of interest is?" Jaune asked.

"Then we go out and search in the area that the target was last spotted," she said. "If there was no last area of sighting, we search the perimeter or the general area of the quadrant."

"I see… that's why you said this would take a couple of days then," Pyrrha said.

"Quite, now let's go. We need to cover some ground before the Sun sets completely," Glynda said.

* * *

The group searched for several hours. Like the mayor had said, there were signs of a large group that had made its way through the area and it wasn't Grimm. Signs of a campfire, tent markings, and scuffle marks all indicated the signs of intelligent life in the area. And with this knowledge, they knew that these people couldn't have gotten that far in a single day.

"Hey wait," Jaune said as he knelt next to a patch of grass. Alice walked over and narrowed her eyes.

"This energy feels familiar," Jaune said.

"You mean weird?" she asked.

"Huh, you've felt it before?" he asked.

"At the dance, after you and Pyrrha left. I felt something weird enter the room. I know that people can sense aura but what I felt wasn't aura," she said. "It felt more like this…"

"What is it you two?" Glynda asked as she walked over.

"There's something off about this place," Jaune said. "There's like a weird energy signature that I can't put my finger on…"

"What does it feel like?" she asked.

"It doesn't feel like aura," Alice said.

"Not like aura?" Glynda placed a hand on her chin before noticing the growing darkness. She glanced at the sky and sighed.

"It's getting dark and I don't want us to be ambushed by the bandit tribe so we'll set up camp here. However, I want you all to be on your guard. We'll take turns taking watch. Miss Arc and I will get first watch later," Glynda said.

* * *

The night went by rather fast for Jaune. He had fallen into a deep sleep until he was gently shook awake by Pyrrha.

"Come on, it's our turn," she said.

Jaune nodded blearily as he walked out of the tent. He passed by Ren, who offered him some of the coffee that he brought.

"Thanks," Jaune said as he gratefully accepted it. "Get some rest. We got it from here."

"Thanks," Ren said.

"Nitey nite Jaune-Jaune!" Nora said as she followed Ren into the tent.

"Ah, let's see…," Jaune placed his bag in front of him and saw it squirming. He chuckled and opened the bag. Nyx popped out of it and jumped on top of his head.

_Master, it was getting suffocating in there_, she said as she sat on his blonde mop of a head.

"Ah, I see she's happy to get out of the bag," Pyrrha said, chuckling as she grabbed some meat from her pack and began to roast it.

"Yeah, but I don't know how Goodwitch would react if she saw me carrying a Grimm around," Jaune said.

"So we might be in the woods for a few days looking for absolutely nothing," Pyrrha said as she took a bite out of the meat.

"Mmmph! Thash really good!" she said as she swallowed her food.

"If we come out of this with nothing, doesn't that mean that we failed?" Jaune asked.

"Well, I guess but… maybe we were too late," Pyrrha said.

"...," Jaune remain silent as he roasted a piece of meat that Pyrrha gave him. He wracked his head with methods on how to make their lives easier. It was obvious that there were signs of life here and that they had recently moved. His eyes roamed around the area they were camped in and he noticed one thing.

"Hey wait… wouldn't an area like this be too small for an entire bandit tribe?" Jaune asked.

"Huh?" Pyrrha looked at him oddly.

"Look around. This area is too small for an entire tribe but not a scouting party," Jaune said.

"Scouting party?"

"Yeah, I've seen a lot of movies about the Great War. I used to watch them when I wanted to study for Tactics Class," he said.

"I don't think you should apply fiction to reality, Jaune," Pyrrha said.

"Those movies may be fiction but… we know that the tactics used in them were actual tactics used during the War. Armies sent scouting parties to assess the situation and gather information about the environment or area that they're moving through. Armies tend to camp in large clearings or near sources of water and this area we're in is too small to sustain something like a bandit tribe. It's also too close to the village and the mayor said that their fighters couldn't find the tribe," Jaune said.

"So… where do you think they are?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'm still working on that but I have an idea. What if we use Nyx to find them?" he said. The little beowolf perked up at hearing her name.

"Can Nyx find them?" she asked.

"Nyx, can you track someone down for me?" Jaune asked.

_Track? Like hunt?_ She asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Like sniff them out. I assume Beowolves have a good sense of smell."

_We do. I can try_, Nyx said as she hopped off his head. She put her nose to the ground and sniffed around, taking in the scent of everyone that had been here. Her eyes glowed red as she turned her head north of their location.

"I'm assuming she has their scent," Pyrrha said, slightly impressed.

"I knew she could do it," Jaune said.

"Yeah but still, how do we get her to track them without Professor Goodwitch finding out?" Pyrrha asked.

"Hmmm," Jaune placed a hand on his chin. How would they tell Goodwitch? Should they just come out and say it?

"I think we should just tell her," Jaune said.

"But…," Pyrrha interjected.

"We'll have to tell her sooner or later and I'd rather her find out from us rather than… in the middle of battle when a Beowolf just comes out and starts attacking everything," Jaune said.

* * *

"So you guys are going to tell Professor Goodwitch?" Alice asked as she stretched.

"Yeah, Jaune figured that this way, we can use Nyx's help to sniff out the tribe's location," Pyrrha said. The two had spent the entire night discussing the pros and cons of telling Goodwitch that Jaune could control Grimm. The reaction they expected was hostility so they steeled themselves for a possible interaction with their combat professor.

"I see. Jaune, are you sure you're up for this?" Ren asked.

"No…," he grimaced. A bulge in its hoodie made itself known as a head popped out from the collar.

"Renny, have some tact. Goodwitch might turn Nyxie into a black smear," Nora said.

"Not helping," Jaune said, holding Nyx protectively.

"Well, all we have to do is find Goodwitch," Pyrrha said.

"And what might you require of me, Miss Nikos?" Glynda said.

"...," the others immediately turned to see Glynda walking over to them.

"Now or never," Alice said.

"What is it?" Glynda asked.

"Um, first off, Miss Glyn, don't freak out," Jaune said.

"Mister Arc, I can assure you that I can remain calm," Glynda said.

The five gave each other glances before nodding. Jaune reached into his hoodie and pulled out a black ball of fur before holding it in his arms. Glynda's eyes widened when the black fuzzball unwound itself and she found herself peering into the red eyes of a beowulf puppy.

Her hand flew for her riding crop and was about to draw it when she saw the looks the five were giving her. She hesitated in pulling it out and sighed. She would at least hear them out before dispensing any sort of judgement.

_Who knows… this could just be a black dog in a Grimm costume_, she thought.

"Um, so this is Nyx… she's a Beowulf puppy," Jaune said.

"I see," Glynda said, pulling her riding crop out.

"Woah! Wait!" Jaune said, holding his right hand out.

"Mister Arc, we need to kill it immediately," Glynda said.

"But she's done nothing wrong!" Jaune said.

"_It_ is a Grimm, Mister Arc. The ultimate enemy of mankind. As Hunters, it is our job to kill the monsters that lurk in the dark," Glynda said.

"W- Wait but she can help us!" Alice said.

"Help? I can assure you that the only thing it wants to do is destroy," she argued.

"Stop calling her an it! She has a name too!" Jaune said. "And Alice is right! She can help us find the bandit tribe!"

The mention of their objective caused Glynda to quiet down.

"Help?" she asked.

"Yes, we can use her Beowolf senses to track the scent of the people who were here," Pyrrha said.

Glynda glanced at Pyrrha before looking back at the monstrous fuzzball in Jaune's arms. Her resolve waned as she was forced to choose between Nyx and the Bandit Tribe they were sent to eliminate. Every cell in her body screamed at her to strike Nyx down but… a small part of her irrational mind considered the possibility of using Nyx to find them. Her eyes scrutinized the small puppy as it quaked in Jaune's arm under the intensity of her gaze. Her gaze drifted to Jaune, who looked at her defiantly. She was going to regret this.

"Fine," she sighed.

They all sighed in relief before Glynda spoke up, pointing her weapon at Nyx.

"If it attacks any one of us, I will personally turn it into a fur coat," she said.

"Noted," Jaune gulped as he set Nyx down.

"Alright, Nyx. Track them," he said.

_Of course, Master_, she said as she began to sniff around.

Glynda watched, baffled as the Beowolf began to behave like a common dog, obeying Jaune's commands. A seed of unrest began to form in her mind. Was Jaune… no, he couldn't possibly be. The Arcs were sworn defenders of humanity. There was no way that they would be working for _her_. So why… why was Jaune able to control the Grimm?

"This way," Jaune said as he followed after Nyx. The others followed with Glynda sticking close to the Arc, if not to observe.

_I have to tell, Ozpin, about this_, she thought.

* * *

Nyx ran through the foliage, having tracked the scent she had picked up. Behind her, Team JNPAR and Glynda Goodwitch kept pace. The Grimm pup began to growl when she felt it. Negativity. So much of it. The sins of man were as sensible to the Grimm as was the taste of food was to the humans. And she felt it all. Greed, lust, pride, anger… all of them permeating the entire area. To Nyx, this forest was bathed in a thick miasma of it and it all seemed to be radiating from a focal point deep into the woods.

"Jaune," Alice said as she ran up to him. "That energy is getting stronger the deeper we go in…"

"Yeah," he said.

"Professor," Alice said. "Jaune and I are picking up the energy again."

"Is it like the one you felt back at that clearing?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it seems to be radiating rather than a trace amount of it," Jaune replied.

Suddenly, Nyx stopped and sniffed the air before walking back to Jaune. She nudged his leg with her snout. He looked down at her and picked her up.

"_We're here_," she said.

"She said we're here," Jaune said.

Glynda gave him a hard look before reinforcing her leg muscles with aura. She leaped up to a tree branch and quickly made her way to the top. Her green eyes widened when she saw a steady stream of smoke off in the distance. So the Grimm was able to bring them into the general area but purposely stopped far away enough from the camp for them to not get noticed.

Glynda landed behind Jaune and nodded.

"So what now?" Pyrrha asked.

"For now, we need to find out how many bandits we're dealing with exactly to minimize the risk of death," Glynda said.

"How do we do that?" Ren asked.

"Hmm," Glynda placed a hand on her chin.

"Why can't Ren just watch from afar?" Nora suggested.

"Miss Valkyrie, I will not place any of you in danger just to retrieve information," Glynda said.

"Why not? Renny's quiet enough to be as good a ninja as Blake," Nora said.

"Still, I won't place him in danger. There is the possibility that Mister Lie might get spotted and killed," Glynda said.

"So what do we do?" Alice asked.

Glynda began to think. There was no way for them to be able to scout out the bandit camp. If it was her, then she could no doubt pull it off but she had a student team with her. The chances that a patrol group from the tribe coming this way was too high for her to ignore. Therefore, she had two options that she deemed logical but ineffective and one solution that she considered reckless. The time it would take for one of them to go to the village and back would likely be several hours considering how far they penetrated the forest within a single day and the likelihood of those who remain getting captured would be too high. Her second plan would be to call for reinforcements but that was time they couldn't afford to wait for. The trip from Beacon to Quadrant 2 was a few hours and that was too long for them to wait. Not to mention that the presence of aircraft would alert the tribe.

Her final option was to go in with the forces she had in a surprise attack against the Bandit Tribe. She would send in Mister Lie to get an initial count at how many there were and then-

Her train of thought was interrupted when Jaune spoke up.

"Miss Goodwitch! I think we have a plan," Jaune said.

She raised an eyebrow. The five of them had come up with a plan?

"What is it?" she asked.

"Have you seen… Galaxy Wars Chapter Four?" Jaune asked.

* * *

A bandit sighed as he walked out of the camp. Guard duty. As if there were going to be any people crazy enough to be inside this forest. Earlier, they had several nevermore attempt to destroy the camp. He guessed he should be thankful that their leader was such a monster. To kill that many fully grown nevermore in a few minutes was no easy feat and he doubted even professional hunters could pull it off.

The feeling of nature calling suddenly overcame his body as he stopped. He unzipped his pants and prepared to let loose the contents of his bladder when something slammed into the side of his head. The last thing he saw before passing out was two people, a blonde and a brunette standing over him before he passed out.

"Come on," Jaune said as he and Ren picked up the unconscious body.

"Are you sure this will work?" Ren asked as he took off his shirt. He grabbed the bandit's clothes and began to put them on. Thankfully by some sheer luck, this bandit wore a mask over his face.

"No," Jaune said. "But it beats waiting for a bullhead from Beacon that would probably take a few hours to get out here."

"So what is it exactly that we're doing?" Ren asked.

"We're going to re-enact the Floofie scene when they invaded the Extinction Sun," Jaune said.

Ren sighed as he pulled out some rope from his pack.

"Come on, I need to tie your hands together," Ren said.

* * *

Ren walked Jaune up the path they saw the bandit taking. The barrel of Stormflower was pressed against Jaune's back. They needed to make this look realistic. At least, as realistic as Ren could without turning off the safety and shooting Jaune. As they approached, the two guards looked at them and raised their weapons when Ren spoke.

"Wait, I found this one snooping around our camp," Ren said, the lower half of his face hidden behind the bandit's mask. He pulled out Jaune's ID card.

"A hunter…," he said.

"A hunter?" the guard glanced at his partner.

She nodded and walked forward. She swiped the card from a disguised Ren and looked at it.

"A Beacon Student…," she said.

"Beacon? Should we tell the boss?" the guard asked.

"You two come with me," she said.

Ren nodded as he pushed Jaune forward. Jaune glared at him, before begrudgingly following after the guard. However, as they made their way through the camp and towards the leader's tent, they both sported small smiles on their faces.

They were in.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update... group projects and school. I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. This is basically set up for the next chapter which will be Glynda and Team JNPAR versus the Bandit Tribe. Hehehe...**

**Anyway, that's all I have on thoughts about this. Oh, before I forget, for all of you who read up to this point, there was a small part of the prologue I changed. The dream sequence before Jaune wakes up and calls his parents. That is all. Everything else is the same.**

**Please review and have a nice day!**


End file.
